Scolopax rusticola

CH — Vulnerable

CH — Scarce resident, breeder

Unlike the common snipe and Eurasian curlew, the Eurasian woodcock in this diorama is in the wrong type of habitat. It prefers extensive, open woodlands with dense undergrowth, which are not uncommon in Switzerland. Even so, since the mid-1990s, this species has almost disappeared from the forests of the Central Plateau — for reasons which are not clear. Possible factors include darker woodlands with less undergrowth, due to changes in management, or a lack of food, since acid rain has reduced the abundance of earthworms in forest soil. Hunting may also be a factor.