Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimus

Family:

Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes

Length:

17cm to 19cm

Wingspan:

38cm to 42cm

Weight:

35g to 73g

About the Jack Snipe

The jack snipe is a small, secretive bird that uses its camouflaged plumage to its advantage when approached. It does this by crouching down to try and blend in with the surroundings, and will only usually fly off at the last minute. Jack snipes won't fly very high or for long though and will drop rapidly - unlike other snipers which tend to fly off in a zig-zag motion and high.

They are smaller than the snipe, also with a smaller bill and whilst feeding they tend to look rather 'bouncy'.

What does a Jack Snipe eat?

Their diets mainly consist of worms, insects and snails.

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Other birds in the Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes family

Woodcock

Wood Sandpiper

Whimbrel

Turnstone

Temminck's Stint

Spotted Redshank

Snipe

Sanderling

Ruff

Redshank

Red-Necked Phalarope

Purple Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Little Stint

Knot

Grey Phalarope

Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

Dunlin

Curlew Sandpiper

Identified as being from a group of birds known as Waders, within North America they are generally referred to as Shorebirds. This monotypic species, a long distance migrant, is considered to have an Amber Conservation Status otherwise known as Near Threatened.

Curlew

Common Sandpiper

Belonging to a group of birds generally called waders or shorebirds, the common sandpiper prefers freshwater habitats as opposed to saltwater locations.

Black-Tailed Godwit

An impressive, proud looking wader with particularly fine summer plumage which migrates south from its northern breeding grounds from July to October, returning for the summer from late February through April.

Bar-tailed Godwit

A large wading bird, notorious for the boldness of breeding individuals.

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