Bird Sighting

Species photo: TRinaud, CC BY 4.0

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago · Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)

Where Snipe has been seen

Snipe in our records

Records
6
First recorded
01/01/2021
Last recorded
04/01/2026
Places
Maw Green Tip, Elton Hall Flash

Recent records

About the Snipe

The common snipe (Gallinago gallinago, formerly also known as Gallinago cælestis) is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World, where it breeds in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows. It is usually shy and well-camouflaged, foraging in soft mud mainly for insects and earthworms but also some plant material. During courtship, males perform a "winnowing" display; flying high in circles and then taking shallow dives to produce a "drumming" sound by vibrating the tail feathers.

Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern
Wingspan
52 cm
Weight
111–128 g

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article “Common snipe” by its contributors (introduction, may be shortened), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, with the photographer and licence under each one.