Folklore suggests that a snipe hunt is a fool’s errand. But snipe are real birds, if rarely encountered. The term sniper comes from the difficulty hunters of this bird face. It’s well-camouflaged and flies in such an irregular pattern that a clean shot is nearly impossible. I was very lucky to see this Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) on Thanksgiving morning. And in a flash, he was gone.
The Wilson Snipe and American Woodcock are birds that evolved from seashore birds. They both love lowlands and use their long beaks to harvest worms and other insects from bogs, wet lands, and soils with lots of organic matter. Whereas, the two have some resident populations, they are mostly migratory and can be found in the Southern United States during the winter, especially along the Gulf Coast. The Snipe is much smaller than the Woodcock and darker in color. The female Woodcock is significantly larger than the male. Both the Wilson Snipe and the Woodcock fly in an elevator fashion and then away sometimes making zigzags. These birds are prized by hunters and I used to enjoy hunting them when quail were scarce. Their meat, especially the Woodcock, is dark and has a distinctive flavor similar to beef liver though milder. A bird dog often will not retrieve these birds because of their taste. I had a couple of bird dogs that would but most have to be forced trained to fetch them. They are beautiful birds to me and seem to be declining in populations because of loss of habitat .
Great shot and story! I had no idea the “snipe” was real!
Unusual bird !
Great shot, Brian! I was pleased that I guessed it was a snipe before I read your passage. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! Very interesting
Thanks for sharing this photo and info about the snipe!