Snipe

The snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a medium-sized wading bird with a very long bill. There are a number of different species and sub-species of snipe, with the one covered by this article also being known as the “common snipe”.

The snipe is found in many parts of the world, including the whole of Europe. Some populations are migratory between Europe and Africa whereas others are resident. In the United Kingdom the snipe is resident throughout the country, although more commonly found in moorland locations in Scotland and northern England. The numbers are supplemented in winter by migrants from northern Europe.

The snipe is a game bird, along with its relation the woodcock, and it is from the tradition of snipe shooting that the word “sniper” originates.

Appearance

The snipe is around 27 centimetres (10.5 inches) in length, not counting the bill at 7 centimetres. The upper body is patterned in black, brown and reddish-brown with cream-coloured and black stripes on the head and back. The underparts are white. The legs are short.

There is no obvious difference in appearance between male and female snipes.

Behaviour

The snipe is generally a secretive bird that does not allow a close approach. When alarmed it will fly in a low zigzag before rising higher and making off with a fast wingbeat, still moving from side to side. It is this indirect flight that makes the snipe a target for wildfowlers, as it presents more of a challenge than some other species.

The snipe tends to be more active at dawn and dusk, staying hidden for much of the day.

The snipe is renowned for “drumming”. This is a sound made by the tail feathers vibrating when the snipe dives towards the ground, an action that is associated with the male snipe as part of his guard duties when the female is on the nest.

The snipe also has a sharp, harsh call when in flight and a distinctive, repeated cry that rises in both volume and pitch.

Breeding

The snipe reaches its breeding ground in March or April. This will be in a marshy or damp meadow area close to a pond or lake. The nest, built in a hollow in a clump of tall grass, which helps to conceal the nest, consists of dry stalks and leaves.

The clutch of four eggs is incubated for about 20 days by the female alone while the male performs his guard duties as described above. Only one brood is raised in a season.

The chicks leave the nest as soon as they are dry, hiding among the vegetation in which they are well camouflaged and being cared for by their parents. They are able to fly at 20 days and will later join other young and older birds to form flocks.

Feeding

The diet is mainly of insects and larvae, supplemented with small molluscs, invertebrates, worms and spiders.

Conservation Status

The snipe has amber status in the UK due to habitat loss in lowland areas, such as where water meadows have increasingly been used for building roads and housing developments. Although wildfowling has its detractors, it does at least lead to active efforts being made to preserve snipe populations and the habitats in which they are found.

© John Welford