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Acrocephalus 32 (150/151): 213−214, 2012
First confirmed breeding of 
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola in 
Vitosha Mountain (CW Bulgaria)
Prvo potrjeno gnezdenje sloke Scolopax 
rusticola v gorovju Vitoša (osrednja 
zahodna Bolgarija)
Gradimir Gruychev1 & Nikolay Dyakov2
 1 University of Forestry, Wildlife Management 
Department, 10 Kl. Ochridski Blvd., BG–1756 Sofia, 
Bulgaria, e−mail: gradi.val@gmail.com
 2 University of Forestry, Department of Dendrology,  
10 Kl. Ochridski Blvd., BG–1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola is a Palearctic species, 
breeding mainly in broad-leaved and mixed European 
forests. In Fennoscandia, it nests in mature coniferous 
forests. Southern border of the bird’s breeding 
distribution passes through the Balkan Peninsula, 
Rhodope Mountains (Northern Greece) (Glutz von 
Blotzheim et al. 1986, Hoodless & Saari 1997). In 
Bulgaria, the Woodcock nests mainly in coniferous, 
mixed, and, occasionally, mature broad-leaved 
forests between 400 and 1800 m a.s.l. Its population 
was estimated at 100–200 (Nankinov 2004) and, 
more recently, at only 30–100 (Nikolov et al. 
2007) breeding pairs. After the mid-20th century, its 
confirmed breeding was evidenced only three times, 
probably due to its secretive way of life, night activity, 
cryptic coloration, and low numbers. So far, only 
one nest with three eggs is confirmed from Rhodope 
Mountains in 1983, two nestlings from Rila Mountain 
in June 2000, and one nest from Pirin Mountain in 
2002 (Stoyanov et al. 2003).
On 10 May 2011, a nest containing four eggs was 
accidentally found at 1,645 m a.s.l., on the northern 
slope of Vitosha Mountain (N42°37’, E23°15’), rising 
on the outskirts of Sofia. The nest was placed in a 70–
80 year old Norway Spruce Picea abies plantation on a 
7 ° slope, which was selectively logged in the autumn 
of 2010 (Figure 1). Canopy cover in a 100 m2 sample 
plot around the nest was 75%. Shrubs of Raspberry 
Rubus idaeus covered < 1% of the sample plot, while 
herb cover was 15% with prevailing Common Wood-
sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Wood Stitchwort Stellaria 
nemorum and lungwort Pulmonaria rubra. The nest 
was located some 10 m from a small stream with 
side bogs. This part of the mountain falls within the 
boundaries of homonymous Nature Park, so a tourist 
track passes ca. 30 m away from the nest with no direct 
visibility towards it. The nest-site is only 3 km away 
from the Kumata chalet, where a flying Woodcock 
was observed on 18 May 2006, but no roding song 
was reported (Nikolov et al. 2007). It falls within 
the altitudinal range of 900–2,185 m a.s.l., where all 
the confirmed breeding records in Bulgaria have been 
made (Stoyanov et al. 2003).
On 20 May 2011, the female bird was incubating, 
but on 27 May 2011 the nest with eggs was found 
depredated (Figure 2). We analyzed the nesting 
material and a hair from the dorsothoracal body part 
of Wildcat Felis silvestris (compared with University 
of Forestry’s collection) was found, which could have 
been the possible predator. Nest dimensions measured 
were: outer diameter = 18 cm, inner diameter = 12.5 
cm, depth = 2.7 cm. Thus, the nest was not as deep 
as usual, which is 3.5–4.5 (6) cm according to Glutz 
von Blotzheim et al. (1986), but its measures were 
very close to the only nest measured so far in Bulgaria 
(Stoyanov et al. 2003). The nest was built over half-
decayed spruce twigs. Its total dry weight was 70 
g. Woodcock female builds the nest with adjacent 
materials (Glutz von Blotzheim et al. 1986), so the 
prevalence of spruce needles with 53.3 g (76.1%) is 
expected. Fine spruce twigs (5.7 g, 8.1%), beech leaves 
(0.6 g, 0.9%), half-decayed spruce cone particles, and 
other unidentified plant materials (5.7 g, 8.1%) were 
much less-represented. Furthermore, we found 36 
small female Woodcock feathers (0.2 g, 0.3%) mixed 
with other plant material. In general, the nesting 
material used was similar to that described by Glutz 
von Blotzheim et al. (1986).
Figure 1: Woodcock Scolopax rusticola sitting on the nest 
under a fallen spruce, Vitosha Mountain (CW Bulgaria), 20 
May 2011 (photo: G. Gruychev)
Slika 1: Sloka Scolopax rusticola na gnezdu pod podrto 
smreko, gorovje Vito{a (osrednja zahodna Bolgarija, 
20.5.2011 (foto: G. Gruychev)
214
The Woodcock is considered an endangered species 
in Bulgaria (Shurulinkov et al. 2011). Thus, the 
report on confirmed breeding is an important piece of 
information that might help in conservation efforts of 
its small breeding population and the fact that should 
not be neglected in Vitosha Nature Park’s management 
plan.
Acknowledgements: We are greatly thankful to 
B. Milchev for his advises on the field work and 
manuscript preparation.
Povzetek
Sloka Scolopax rusticola je maloštevilna in ogrožena 
gnezdilka Bolgarije, kjer so bila v drugi polovici 
20. stoletja znana le tri opazovanja s potrjenim 
gnezdenjem te vrste. Dne 10.5.2011 sta avtorja na 
severnem pobočju gorovja Vitoša nad obrobjem Sofije 
(osrednja Z Bolgarija), na nadmorski višini 1645 m 
po naključju našla gnezdo s štirimi jajci. Gnezdo je 
bilo zgrajeno v 70–80 let starem nasadu smreke Picea 
abies, ki je bil jeseni leta 2010 selektivno posekan. Dne 
20.5.2011 sta opazovala valečo samico, dne 27.5.2011 
pa sta opazila, da je bilo gnezdo izplenjeno. Gnezdo 
sta premerila in podrobno analizirala gnezditveni 
material.
References
Glutz von Blotzheim, U., Bauer, K. & Bezzel, E. 
(1986): Handbuch der Vogel Mitteleuropas. Band 7/II. 
Charadriiformes. – AULA Verlag, Wiesbaden.
Hoodless, A. & Saari, L. (1997): Woodcock Scolopax 
rusticola. pp. 292–293 In: Hagemeijer, W.J.M & Blair, 
M.J. (eds.): The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding 
Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. – T & A D 
Poyser, London.
Nankinov, D. (ed.) (2004): [Breeding totals of the 
ornithofauna in Bulgaria.] – Green Balkans, Plovdiv. (in 
Bulgarian)
Nikolov, S., Delov, V., Daskalova, G. & Gerassimov, 
G. (2007): (Euroasian) Woodcock Scolopax rusticola. pp. 
258–259 In: Iankov, P. (ed.): Atlas of Breeding Birds 
in Bulgaria. Conservation Series, Book 10. – Bulgarian 
Society for the Protection of Birds BSPB, Sofia.
Shurulinkov, P., Delov, V., Kyuchukov, D., Nikolov, S. 
& Stoyanov, G. (2011):  Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). 
In: Golemanski, V. (ed.): Red Data Book of Bulgaria. 
Vol. II. Animals. – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
Stoyanov, G, Shurulinkov, P., Kjuchukov, D., 
Spakovski, P., Delov, V., Vulchev, K. & Stoyanov, A. 
(2003): Vom Brüten der Waldschnepfe Scolopax rusticola 
in Bulgarien. – Ornithologische Mitteilungen 55 (6): 
211–217.
Arrived / Prispelo: 27. 6. 2011
Accepted / Sprejeto: 23. 9. 2012
G. Gruychev & N. Dyakov: First confirmed breeding of Woodcock Scolopax rusticola in Vitosha Mountain (CW Bulgaria)
Figure 2: Depredated nest of Woodcock Scolopax rusticola, 
Vitosha Mountain (CW Bulgaria), 27 May 2011 (photo: G. 
Gruychev)
Slika 2: Izplenjeno gnezdo sloke Scolopax rusticola, gorovje 
Vito{a (osrednja zahodna Bolgarija, 27.5.2011 (foto: G. 
Gruychev)