Family Scolopacidae Scientific name Scolopax rochussenii Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Suborder Scolopaci Genus Scolopax Higher classification Woodcock | |
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Similar Sulawesi woodcock, Javan woodcock, Woodcock, Bird, Bukidnon woodcock | ||
Rgs ibg geographical fieldwork grant recipients search for the enigmatic moluccan woodcock
The Moluccan woodcock (Scolopax rochussenii), also known as Obi woodcock, is a medium-sized, approximately 40 cm long, forest wader with long and dark bill, orange buff below and black barred upperparts. The plumage is marked with large buff spots. This species is the largest of the woodcocks, 25% bigger than Eurasian woodcock.
An Indonesian endemic, the Moluccan woodcock is restricted to Obi and Bacan, two small islands in North Maluku. It is known from eight specimens, with the most recent collected in 1980. Nothing is known of its habits.
Due to ongoing habitat loss and limited range, the Moluccan woodcock is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
In 2013, the first ever photographs of a living Moluccan woodcock were published.
