Wilson's Snipe Documentary

Formerly known as the Common Snipe, Snipe that breed in North America are now considered a separate species called the Wilson's Snipe. These plump, very long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. This medium-sized shorebird, has a short neck, short legs, short tail, and a very long straight bill and about an 18 inch wingspan. It is colored cryptically with mottled brown and black, and prominent light tan stripes on both its head and back. They can be very tough to see thanks to this camouflage and a secretive nature. Males, females, and juveniles look similar, and there is no seasonal variation in plumage.
In migration and during winter they can be found along the edges of muddy ponds, wetlands, ephemeral pools of rainwater, ditches, small streams, and other such places. These birds tend to be most active around dawn and dusk. As you walk, you might flush a snipe unexpectedly from close by and hear its raspy call as it takes off. I was very fortunate to get close to several snipe recently and carefully observe their feeding behavior.

Wilson’s Snipe feed by burying their long bills deep into soft, wet soil to probe for insect larvae, worms, and other invertebrate prey. Their bill’s flexible tip has sensory pits near the tip which help individuals detect prey as they probe in the mud for small invertebrates - a character shared with other sandpipers.
The tip can open to grasp food while the base of the bill stays closed and Snipe can slurp small prey from the mud without having to remove their bill from the soil. Because a Wilson’s Snipe’s eyes are set far back on its head, it can see almost as well behind as in front and to the sides. This arrangement 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.” The Wilson's Snipe breeds across northern North America, and winters in the lower half of the U.S. south to northern South America.

Wilson’s Snipe are quite stocky thanks to their large pectoral (breast) muscles that make up nearly a quarter of the bird’s weight—the highest percent of all shorebirds. They have long been known as a desirable game bird for the table. Thanks to their massive flight muscles this chunky sandpiper can reach speeds estimated at 60 miles an hour and the Wilson's Snipe is notoriously difficult to hunt.
The word "sniper" comes from the verb "to snipe", which originated in the 1770s among British soldiers in India. The term was first used to describe a hunter who was skilled enough to stalk and kill the small, skittish fast-flying snipe. The word "sniper" became an agent noun in the 1820s and was first used in the military in 1824. The term "sniper" became commonplace during World War I.
The Snipe is still hunted as a gamebird in the United States today. The snipe is a challenging target for hunters because of its alertness, erratic flight, and camouflaging color. The term "snipe shooting" was used in the 18th century to describe a day of rough shooting.

Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 2 million individuals and rates them a species of low conservation concern. In the U.S., approximately 93,000 Wilson's Snipe were taken annually by hunters in recent years. These videos were filmed in a protected National Wildlife Refuge in late January 2025.
Filmed with the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3KxFio4 and OM System M.Zuiko ED 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 Lens at https://amzn.to/3X5jlE2
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