On a clear Canadian May evening, you might hear an unusual sound drifting over the wetlands—a trembling rapid who-who-who-who-who in waves of varying intensity. It’s not a restless spirit come to haunt you: it’s Wilson’s Snipe wooing a mate.
Wilson’s Snipe, Gallinago delicata, is a common North American bird that breeds in Canada and Alaska and some areas of the northern contiguous United States. This species migrates south to the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America in winter, but some individuals remain quite far north year round, particularly on the western side of North America. Formerly believed to be the same species as the Eurasian Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago, Wilson’s Snipe is now classified as a separate species.
Habitat of Wilson’s Snipe
Bogs, marshes, fens, swamps, wet fields, and the boggy edges of rivers and ponds are the favourite habitat of Wilson’s Snipe. These birds frequent brushy growth such as alder thickets, and lightly wooded low wet areas, but are seldom found in mature forest.
Thriving where the ground is soft and wet, Wilson’s Snipe probes for food with its extremely long and sensitive beak. Birds forage in wet soil, mud, and shallow water searching for insect larvae, worms, mollusks and crustaceans. Amphibians, insects, and some plant material are also eaten.
Behavior
Seldom seen, Wilson’s Snipe’s varied brown colouring allows it to blend in extremely well with its surroundings. These birds usually remain very still if approached and flush from cover suddenly when danger gets too close. A flushed bird usually flies away in a zigzag pattern, but may remain close and feign injury if the nest is threatened.
Wilson’s Snipes sometimes flock at night or during migration but spend their days alone, foraging for food in the early morning and late afternoon. During migration they are tamer and can often be approached quite closely.
Breeding
The most memorable feature of Wilson’s Snipe is probably the “winnowing” flight of the male bird during courtship and breeding. Winnowing, a peculiar sound described as a trill or tremulous hum is produced by the rush of air past special tail feathers when the male dives from on high. Winnowing is heard throughout the breeding season of May and June—it is thought that the male uses it to both defend territory and attract a mate.
Nests are built on the ground near water in grasses or on grassy tufts. The female usually lays four eggs, with the juveniles leaving the nest very soon after hatching. Fed by the parent birds at first, juveniles are fast learners—foraging for themselves in less than ten days and independent by about three weeks of age.
Conservation Status of Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Snipe is not endangered; however, it is much less common than it used to be. Because of its habit of flushing suddenly and flying on a zigzag course, it has long been a favourite game bird for hunters. Habitat loss has doubtless also played a role in its decline.
Read about other common North American Birds:
The Fate of the Bobwhite Quail
Eastern and Western Meadowlarks
Sources:
The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
 |
 |
