Wilson’s Snipe

Welcome to this week’s Wildlife of the Week!

Our species this week is the Wilson’s Snipe!

Gallinago delicata

This week’s Wildlife of the Week is Wilson’s snipe, and yes, despite the old pranks about “snipe hunts,” they are, in fact, real and not a made-up bird. But you may not believe that given the fact that they are very secretive and thus hard to spot. Although they are one of the most widespread shorebirds in the United States, they are very good at concealing themselves in vegetation around marshes and wetlands. They are plump, well-camouflaged birds with a long bill and dark brown and buff plumage, similar in shape to the American woodcock. They are heavily marked with pale buff stripes on back and face.

They use their long bill to probe in mud for worms, larvae and other invertebrates.Their eyes are set far back on their head and they can see almost as well behind as in front and to the sides. This makes it difficult for a potential predator to sneak up on a feeding snipe—it almost literally has “eyes in the back of its head.”

They are fairly common on the refuge where they usually feed alone but they may gather in small flocks on exposed mudflats to feed. They will often sit still when approached, waiting until the last minute before flushing away in a zigzag flight. When they flush they make a distinct, harsh call accompanied by a whirring sound from their tail.

They winter on the refuge where they can often be spotted from October through April, before migrating for breeding into the northern tier of the United States and into Canada.

Look for Wilson’s snipe along shores, on mudflats and in thick vegetation on marsh edges. The Wilson’s snipe in the photos was spotted in Buckeye Impoundment on the refuge. Other good places to see them are in White Springs and Penney Bottoms.

(Photos by Tom Ress)