During its courtship display, rises and then sharply dives downwards, while its outer rectrices, i.e. tail feathers – tilted sideways – make a bleat-like sound. This is a characteristic feature of the species, if we hear such a sound overhead in the field, we are dealing with a common snipe.
Similar in size and coloration to the aforementioned Great snipe.
However, it is the common snipe that is much easier to see because it is still relatively numerous. You can notice it in wet meadows, but also marshes and swamps, as well as flooded mid-forest clearings. A common snipe, when scared away, jumps off the ground and flies away zigzagging and shouting – a great snipe has a straight flight and makes no sound except for a single shout.
It builds its nest on the ground and the chicks of a Common snipe, like all the species described here, are nidifugous birds – once hatched and dry, they disperse and grow up outside the nest.
Common snipes often breed twice, laying eggs for the second time in late June or even July. Such a strategy is also used by great snipes – in case of loss of the first clutch due to unfavorable weather, flooding of the nest, the birds may lay eggs again in early summer and raise chicks at a later date.
They fly away from Poland for winter, but in the west and south of Europe they can be observed all year round.
Wesja Polska