The Common Snipe is a common bird in China
When
this bird is disturbed by a human presence, it will sit motionless blending in
with its surroundings with its well camouflaged plumage. If approached too
closely, it will fly off making a distinctive “snape, snape” call. It flies
with a strange zig-zag pattern which is a defense to confuse predators. It is usually
when the bird is flying away that the human observer first has a chance to
notice the bird. Only birdwatchers that are specifically looking for this bird,
will ever get a chance to properly observe one.
The Common Snipe is a member of the family,
“Scolopacidae”, a very large family of birds like snipes such as sandpipers,
curlews, stints and tattles. All members of this family have long legs, pointed
wings and long bills. Usually these birds are found on beaches, mudflats, or in
shallow rivers where they use their long bills to probe for aquatic animals.
The Common Snipe’s diet consists largely of
earthworms and insects which they probe for with their long bills in the
marshes and bogs which constitute their favorite habitats. During migration,
they can be found in city parks which offer the swampy conditions they like.
During the breeding season, the male snipe
attracts a mate by flying high in the sky in a circular fashion and then diving,
which produces a goat-like squeal as wind rushes through the snipe’s tail
feathers. This elaborate display is called, winnowing”. The Common Snipe’s name
in many languages around the world translates as “flying goat.”
The female lays four eggs in a well hidden
nest on the ground. When the eggs hatch, the snipe chicks are cared for by both
parents. Like other members of the Scolopacidae family, snipe chicks develop
and achieve independence quickly.
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| Photo by Sean Breazeal |
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