Field Guide

Stocky and social birds, common snipes like to forage in small groups as they wade through shallow water or gather on fields at dawn or dusk to feed; sometimes hundreds of birds will gather at particularly rich feeding sites.

Common snipes give a harsh call when they are flying away or at night during migration; another common call is heard most often at dawn and dusk during mating periods, during the day, and on moonlit nights.

Mottled feather patterns let shy common snipes conceal themselves among ground vegetation, but they will flush from cover when startled. They use their exceptionally long bills to probe in mud for prey.

Least concern

Common snipes eat insects and other invertebrates, worms, and small crustaceans.

Males fly hundreds of feet in the air and then spread their tail feathers and let themselves plummet to the ground; the wind whistling through their tail feathers creates a “drumming” sound that entices females. While both males and females initially may be attracted to more than one potential mate, monogamous pairs eventually form and the female builds a grass nest covered by grasses and other vegetation. Parents do not share the responsibility of caring for all the chicks; instead, each parent tends exclusively to half the brood.

Cattle may trample eggs, and owl, hawks, and small mammals will also prey on common snipe.

The common snipe is usually seen in southern and central Kenya.

Common snipe can be found in western and Mediterranean Europe, Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East.