Sandpipers, Phalaropes

Wilson’s Snipe, Gallinago delicata

Family Scolopacidae (Sandpipers, Phalaropes)

Size: 10.5"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Saltwater and freshwater marshes

Also known as the common snipe, the Wilson’s snipe is a cryptically marked, short-necked shorebird with a long, straight bill. The head is striped, and the back is flanked with white stripes bordering the scapulars. The underside is white, with extensive black barring, and the legs are short and pale greenish yellow. Plumage is similar in all seasons. While feeding, snipes probe rhythmically and deeply into the muddy substrate to extract worms, insect larvae, and crustaceans. It voices a loud skipe! when alarmed, or a whit-whit-whit-whit. Secretive and solitary, it will abruptly lift into flight when alarmed. Its flight is erratic and zigzagging and includes displays of “winnowing,” where air across the tail feathers whistles during a steep descent. The adult is illustrated.