Free woodcock sponsorship for schools

What aspects of nature fascinated you as a child? Imagine following the journey of a bird as it makes its way from the UK or Ireland, across Europe, perhaps as far afield as western Russia.

We are offering free woodcock sponsorship to any school so that their pupils can share in this fascinating experience, tracking a woodcock as it migrates across Europe and back again, sometimes even to the very same field.

The free school woodcock pack includes a certificate of sponsorship, factsheets, a woodcock passport and stickers and regular email updates about the progress of the school’s chosen woodcock.

Teachers are also able to access a series of lesson plans, providing them with the guidance to make the best use of our resources about the migration of Woodcock across Europe, making it easier for teachers to utilise those resources in a way that meets the demands of the National Curriculum

Interactive map showing the journeys taken by our tagged woodcock

These resources, produced with the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation Education Trust, help students to learn about the woodcock's life-cycle, habitat and migration routes and encourages students to follow individual satellite-tagged birds as they fly through the countries of Europe.

Do you have any children or grandchildren whose school may be interested in this work? If you are or know a teacher keen to bring the story of this wonderful bird into the classroom, please ask the school to get in touch with the Trust and we will take care of the rest.

Register your school

Registering for a free woodcock pack is simple. All you have to do to register your school to receive a FREE woodcock sponsorship kit is email jswyer@gwct.org.uk and we will contact you to discuss your free pack.

Please note this is only available to direct applications from schools.

Sponsor a woodcock for just £3 a month

Don’t miss this rare chance to get involved in important scientific research by sponsoring a satellite tracked woodcock.

For just £3 a month, you can follow your own bird’s location as it travels up to 10,000 kilometres every year, whilst scientists from the Game & Wildlife Trust build a unique picture of the woodcock’s migratory habits.

Each sponsor helps to pay for the satellite tracking, which has seen birds tagged in the British Isles travel to breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, including a 7,000 kilometre journey to Siberia. Without the support of sponsorship, we would not have known about these remarkable migrations or the details of stop-over locations that are vital to each journey.

Sponsor a woodcock - choose your bird >


We have been able to tag a further 11 birds in recent months, in seven English counties, plus Wales, Scotland, and Ireland and these are now available for sponsorship.

From as little as £3 a month, you can enjoy the pleasure of sponsoring one of these remarkable woodcock and supporting our research. In addition to being able to track your bird online, you will receive a sponsorship pack including a certificate, factsheet and your own woodcock lapel pin.

Sponsor a woodcock - choose your bird >

Sponsoring your woodcock is quick and easy

All you need to do is click here and select the bird you would like to sponsor, or call us on 01425 652381. You will not only be supporting ground-breaking research, but also enjoy an appreciation for the British countryside and the chance to enjoy the remarkable achievements of these elusive birds.
What other sponsors say

“The study has been a revelation in the distances covered by this remarkable bird”
- Kevin Appleton

“My interest in these lovely birds is general, i.e. their migratory patterns, our resident birds and their habits and habitat. I think that it behoves us to know as much as we can about any quarry species”
– David Houston

“I think the groundbreaking work you are doing is fascinating - keep up the good work”
– William McCabe

Sponsor a woodcock - choose your bird >

Beautiful new limited edition woodcock print available

Professional wildlife artist Colin Woolf has produced this beautiful sepia woodcock study, painted with a woodcock's pin-feather.

'The Secret' shows a woodcock carrying its baby to safer ground and Colin is very kindly donating a percentage of all sales to our Woodcock Watch project.

If you wish to buy one you'd better move fast - there are only 200 available!

Find out more >

Smith & Williamson to sponsor woodcock in 2014

We'd like to thank Smith & Williamson who have kindly agreed to sponsor a woodcock in our pioneering Woodcock Watch project.

The sponsorship will begin in March when new birds are tagged by Dr Andrew Hoodless and his team.

Read Smith & Williamson's blog