Common Snipe

The common snipe is a small, stocky wader, 25–27cm long with a wingspan of 44–47cm and a weight of 80–140g, heavier before migration. It has short greenish-grey legs and a very long, straight dark bill of 5.5–7cm. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes above and pale below, and a dark stripe runs through the eye between two pale ones. The wings are pointed. It is the most widespread of several similar snipes, and Wilson's snipe of North America was until recently treated as part of this species (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows across the Palearctic. It is shy and well camouflaged, probing soft mud mainly for insects and earthworms and taking some plant material. In courtship the male climbs in circles and then makes shallow dives, producing a drumming sound with vibrating outer tail feathers. It is migratory, and Asian birds winter in tropical southern Asia. In India it is a winter migrant with a large range; SoIB 2023 finds its trends uncertain and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).