Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
A medium-sized, stocky wader with very short legs and an extremely long straight bill. Wonderfully camouflaged in mottled brown, buff and black, the snipe hides among marsh grasses and reeds. When approached, it often stays invisible until it suddenly bursts into a zigzag flight, its raspy call announcing its take-off.
- Habitat: Marshes, bogs, wet grasslands and damp meadows with thick vegetation.
- When to See: Common winter visitor and passage migrant; present from autumn through spring
- Diet / Food: Mainly earthworms and insect larvae, which it probes for in soft mud with its long bill
- Length: 25–27 cm