Overview
They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long (5.5–7 cm (2.2–2.8 in)) straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are pointed
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Gallinago
- Species
- gallinago
Habitat
Common snipe nest in a-hidden location on the ground, laying four eggs of a dark olive colour, blotched and spotted with rich brownIt is a well camouflaged bird, it is usually shy and conceals itself close to ground vegetation and flushes only when approached closely.
Diet
They forage in soft mud, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and earthworms, also some plant material
Behavior
When flushed, they utter a sharp note that sounds like scape, scape and fly off in a series of aerial zig-zags to confuse predators. Common snipe nest in a well-hidden location on the ground, laying four eggs of a dark olive colour, blotched and spotted with rich brown
Hunting
Dogs are optional. Use a 20ga and wear good walking boots.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.