Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Common Snipe
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Gallinago gallinago
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Voice
Song
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
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25–27 cm long
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Very long, straight bill; short greenish-grey legs
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Mottled brown back with straw-yellow stripes, pale underside
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When flushed, a sudden takeoff and zigzag flight
About the species
Mottled brown above and pale below, the Common Snipe blends into wet grass and mud. Straw-yellow stripes run along its back, while a dark line crosses the eye, edged by pale stripes. Its long, straight bill reaches well beyond its short greenish-gray legs, and its pointed wings show when it lifts off.
It stays low among ground cover and usually holds still until approached closely, then bursts away in sharp, zigzagging flight. A sudden call sounds like "scape, scape"; during courtship, the male circles high and dives, making a drumming sound as air vibrates his tail feathers.
It breeds in marshes, bogs, wet meadows and tundra, probing soft mud for insects and earthworms, with some plant material in its diet. It migrates for winter: European populations move to southern and western Europe and Africa, while Asian populations head to tropical southern Asia.
Where to find
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Outside the city, on soft muddy edges of marshes and ponds, look for Common Snipe probing the mud with a long bill for insects and worms.
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In wet meadows, keep your distance — a close approach can trigger a sudden zigzag flight from the grass.
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During courtship above marshes, listen for a bleating sound as a male circles high, then dives with its tail feathers vibrating.
