Common snipe

Latin Gallinago gallinago (L.)
Estonian Tikutaja

Also known as: mire snipe, horse gowk, heather bleat, snite

Status in Estonia

Breeding, migratory and an uncommon wintering bird.

Description

The common snipe is a medium-sized wader that has a secretive lifestyle, but when it does show itself, it is easily identifiable: its body is short, its beak is disproportionately long and straight, its legs are short and its feathers have light-coloured edges. Its plumage is brown, with clear yellowish-cream edges on the feathers that form stripes on the head and back, spotted sides and a white belly. The bird’s ‘face’ is striped, with alternating dark and light sections.

Size

Body length 23–28 cm (incl. beak 7 cm), wingspan 39–45 cm, body mass 78–105 g.

Similar species

Eurasian woodcock, great snipe, jack snipe.

Distribution

The common snipe is a species with a very wide distribution. It breeds in Northern Eurasia and North America, wintering between the southern breeding grounds and the equator. The European and West Asian populations winter in Western and Southern Europe, Southwest Asia, North Africa and the sub-Saharan region, including Congo and Tanzania. It is a widespread and common breeding bird in Estonia.

Population

Estonia has 15,000–25,000 breeding pairs.

Occurrence in Estonia

It arrives in the second half of March or in April and departs between August and October, staying on the western islands until November. Individual birds (5–30) stay in Western Estonia to winter.

Diet

It eats worms, insects and their larvae; less commonly plant seeds and shoots.

Habitat

It breeds in a variety of wet open environments, including bogs, flood meadows and transition mires, but also in wet meadows and the wetter areas of hay meadows. The preferred habitat is wet tussocks in lake coves, where they can hunt for food amid the tussocks while remaining nearly undetectable.

Nesting

The nest is built either on a tussock or in the grass. The nest is a simple dug hollow lined inside with grass straws. In the first half of May, the female lays four brownish eggs with grey and brown spots and incubates them for 18–22 days. Unlike most waders, common snipe chicks are unable to forage on their own. Both parents take care of the chicks. The second nesting occurs in June, when the first chicks are capable of flying.

Conservation status and protection

Not under protection. The common snipe’s predators include all falcons and small predators. It is a gamebird.

Distribution and population in Lääne County

The common snipe is a common migratory and breeding bird in Lääne County. Migrating common snipes can be found stopping in beach meadows, seaweed and algae banks and even damp pastures. The common snipe is a widespread bird species in Matsalu. Common snipes can be seen in Põgari and Haeska as well as Riguldi Beach and Tahu Beach meadow in Noarootsi. It’s good to observe common snipes flying on the Penijõe or Tuhu Bog hiking trail during spring evenings.