▁wet ▁me adows ▁in ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Ch uk chi ▁Pen ins ula , ▁Russia . ▁They ▁are ▁year - round ▁residents ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Pacific ▁coast . ▁The ▁eastern ▁population ▁migr ates ▁to ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁to ▁northern ▁South ▁America . ▁It ▁may ▁be ▁that ▁climate ▁change ▁causes ▁these ▁birds ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁their ▁bre eding ▁range ▁earlier ▁and ▁leave ▁later ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁In ▁Ohio ▁for ▁example , ▁late ▁April ▁was ▁recorded ▁as ▁an ▁average ▁migration ▁date ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁but ▁now ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁population ▁is ▁present ▁on ▁the ▁bre eding ▁grounds ▁by ▁then ▁already . ▁ ▁They ▁for age ▁in ▁soft ▁mud , ▁prob ing ▁or ▁pick ing ▁up ▁food ▁by ▁sight ▁and ▁e ating ▁insect s , ▁earth w orm s , ▁and ▁plant ▁material . ▁Well - cam ou fl aged , ▁they ▁are ▁usually ▁sh y ▁and ▁conce al ▁themselves ▁close ▁to ▁ground ▁veget ation , ▁fl ushing ▁only ▁when ▁approached ▁closely . ▁They ▁fly ▁off ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁aer ial ▁z ig - z ags ▁to ▁conf use ▁pred ators . ▁ ▁The ▁male ▁performs ▁" w inn ow ing " ▁display ▁during ▁court ship , ▁flying ▁high ▁in ▁circles ▁and ▁then ▁taking ▁shall ow ▁div es ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁sound . ▁They ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁" w inn ow ing " ▁throughout ▁the ▁day ▁and ▁long ▁into ▁the ▁night .