Family:
The great snipe is a stocky wading bird with a long, thick bill. Its upperparts are dark brown, with buff and pale brown mottling. It has prominent white edges on its wing coverts and a pale wingbar that becomes visible in flight. On its underparts, the upper breast is pale brown, marked with dark brown spots and streaks that form chevrons on the lower breast. The belly and flanks are white with dark bars.
The head is brown, with a narrow darker line running through the lores and dark spotting along the sides of the face. The eyes are dark brown, the bill is dark brown with a greenish-yellow base, and the legs and feet are brownish-yellow. Males and females resemble each other, although the female is slightly larger.
The great snipe is similar to the common snipe but is bulkier and has a shorter bill.
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Great snipes primarily feed on insects, earthworms, slugs, snails, and larvae, which they either probe for in soft soil or mud or locate by sight. Occasionally, they also eat seeds from aquatic plants.
The great snipe breeds in northeastern Europe and northwestern Russia in marshes, wet meadows, and mountain bogs with short vegetation. During the winter, it migrates to Africa, where it inhabits similar environments, including rice fields and newly flooded areas.
Great snipes are renowned for their fast, long-distance migrations. They can fly at speeds of up to 60 mph and travel non-stop for up to 90 hours, covering distances of 2,500 to 4,500 miles. These journeys are sustained by the energy stored in their fat reserves.
