Common Snipe
Photo: TRinaud · CC BY 4.0

Sandpipers and Allies

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

LCLeast Concern
Family
Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae)
Order
Charadriiformes

Overview

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 from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.