Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 17,114
- Most observed in
- 🇷🇺 Russia
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
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.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Common snipe”.