Gallinago gallinago

Description

The common snipe has a striped head, a long thin bill, shorebird legs, and a reddish tail. It has striped sides, a white belly, and a camouflaged back with cream-colored stripes.

Voice

The common snipe's call is "scaip" and its song is "chippa chippa chippa."

Breeding

April to July

Habitat

Common snipes live in marshes, wet fields, and around streams.

Diet

These wading birds eat seeds, worms, snails, small crustaceans, and insects that live in the water (aquatic insects).

Range

You can find these birds in Canada and the northern United States during the summer and in the southern United States during the winter.

Other Useful Information

Young common snipe leave the nest only one day after they are born. In other words, they are precocial.

Similar Species

The short-billed dowitcher looks a lot like the common snipe; however, its face is not as striped and it is not as stocky as the common snipe. The American woodcock looks very similar to the common snipe, but the woodcock is not striped and most of it is a pink color.