This fall, DEC began the first year of a multi-year collaborative research project working with numerous state and federal government agencies, the Ruffed Grouse Society, American Woodcock Society, SUNY Cobleskill, and the University of Maine to better understand woodcock migration in the Eastern Management Unit. New York woodcock were captured by DEC staff at several areas across the state and affixed with lightweight satellite GPS transmitters. These small transmitters (about 4 to 6 grams) send daily locations via satellites that allow biologists to track their movements without having to recapture them.

Map
Nine woodcock were fitted with transmitters in NY, and many of those birds have already reached their southern wintering grounds. Interestingly, several that were marked in the same location chose to take very different routes on their way to different wintering grounds. The bird traveling the farthest west is currently in Arkansas after stops in Alabama and Mississippi! Here, you can follow the migration live. For more information on the project, visit the NYSDEC migratory game bird research webpage.

Links:
1.) Live Migration Link above
2.) Dec.ny.gov
3.) Woodcockmigration.org