The Woodcock presents in Greece as an overwintering migrant. The method chosen to determine the migration period took this biological peculiarity into account. Recording this species by simple observation is not as easy as in other birds because of its particular biological characteristics. Indirect methods need to be used to determine its migratory pattern.

In France, specialist hunters (National Club of Woodcock Hunters CNB) use an observation system for the species which uses an Hunting Abundance Index (HAI) during the hunting season (HAI = number of different birds which take off during a three hour search period using the same search intensity). The same system was used in Greece with teams of specialist hunters accompanied by their dogs in pre-determined reference positions, using the IHA index. In this way, and to determine migration, observation lasted a long time and continued beyond the hunting season. The research positions were determined (26 of them for satisfactory statistical analysis) all over Greece, in relation to overwintering regions and areas of passage and data was recorded once a fortnight from the second fortnight in October until the end of November and from 1st January until 31st March every year. In this way, the changes in the HAI during this period define the departure of the wintering birds or the arrival of the migratory birds which overwinter in more southerly regions. When deciding on the distribution of the research positions in Greece, the main known migratory paths were taken into account, as was altitude (so that local movement would not be confused with real migratory movement).

These regions are spread all over the country and are found on known migratory paths, where it is certain that woodcock will be spotted and are shown in the following chart.

 

α/α

Region

Type of Vegetation

Altitude

1

Laerma (Rhodes)

Pine

500

2

Avgonyma (Chios)

Pine / Holly

500

3

Aetos (Messinia)

Holly / Oak

700

4

Chrysovitsi (Tripoli)

Spruce / Oak

1000

5

Oakwood Folois (Kapelis) Hlia

Oak

600

6

Paros

Skinos / brushwood / Akethros

200

7

Telethrio – St. Athanasios (S. Evia)

Oak / Arbutus

500

8

Mount Tsimpra-Nerotribia (Central Evia)

Pine / Arbutus / Holm Oak

700

9

Arakynthos (Aitolo/nias)

Oak

800

10

Neochori (Domokou)

Oak

700

11

Gazi (Ksiromerou)

Pine / Spruce/ Beech/ Fern

900- 1300

12

Ompores (Evia)

Oak / Heather/ Arbutus

400

13

Strinilia (Corfu)

Holly

750

14

Giftocampos (Ioannina)

Beech / Spruce / Pine

900

15

Vrosina – Ksexoro (Thesprotia)

Holly / Oak

400

16

Vrontou (Drama)

Oak / Holly

1200

17

Protokklisi (Evros)

Oak

300

18

Tsali (Ksanthi)

Oak

1300

19

St. Sotira (Deskati)

Oak

800

20

Leptocaria (Evros)

Oak

700

21

Mavroplagia (Kilkis)

Oak

700 - 800

22

N. Sevastia (Chalkidiki)

Oak / Holly

500

23

Upper Ktimeni (Karditsa)

Oak

600

24

Azoros (Elassona)

Oak / Holly / Fern

1000

25

Omolio (Kisavo)

Oak / Holly

750

26

Kofi (Almyro)

Oak

600

 

Trained Woodcock hunters, accompanied by hunting tracker dogs carry out a search every year to track down and record the number of Woodcock over a 3 hour period. Two hunters, accompanied by 2 – 3 dogs are sufficient to record the number of Woodcock in each region. Every sighting of a Woodcock is recorded on a special sheet and the Hunting Abundance Index (HAI) is worked out from these data, per expedition, month and region. An essential prerequisite is that the same people and dogs carry out this job every time in the same area. They must search for birds with the same intensity as on other occasions throughout the expedition. It is also necessary that they are trained at the beginning of each programme when all details of the method are explained to them as well as how to complete the record sheet for each region and expedition.

The period for observations has been determined as being from the second fortnight in October until the end of November every year and from 1st January until 31st March in the following year. An expedition is carried out every fortnight of each month for the whole period when recordings are made.

The data ensuing from this research, together with meteorological data and conditions prevailing during the expedition, are fed into a data base and reveal the period when the greatest number of birds appear, from which the migratory season can be determined.