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Snipe is a very recognizable bird, which is widely represented in the fauna of Russia. It can be difficult to see due to its cryptic brown color and secretive nature. But in the summer, these birds often stand on fence posts or take to the skies with fast, zig-zag flight and an unusual "waving" sound made by their tails. You can learn more about this original little bird from this article.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Bekas
The snipe bird is a genus of small birds with up to 26 species. These birds are distributed almost throughout the world, except Australia. The range of some species of snipe is limited to Asia and Europe, and the Snipe Coenocorypha is found only on the outlying islands of New Zealand. In the fauna of Russia there are 6 species - snipe, Japanese and Asian snipe, forest snipe, mountain snipe and just snipe.
Video: Snipe
Birds are believed to have originally been a group of theropod dinosaurs that arose during the Mesozoic era. The close connection between birds and dinosaurs was first hypothesized in the nineteenth century with the discovery of the primitive bird Archeopteryx in Germany. Birds and extinct non-avian dinosaurs share many unique skeletal features. In addition, fossils of more than thirty species of non-avian dinosaurs have been collected with feathers preserved. Fossils also show that birds and dinosaurs share common features such as hollow bones, gastroliths in the digestive system, nest building, etc.
Although the origin of birds has historically been a controversial issue within evolutionary biology, few scientists still debate the origin of dinosaur birds, suggesting an origin from other species of archosaurian reptiles. Within the consensus that supports the descent of birds from dinosaurs, the exact sequence of evolutionary events that led to the emergence of early birds among theropods is disputed.
Relationships with people
Despite the fact that the sandpiper remains a subject of hunting, its numbers are quite large. Of the approximately 90 species of snipe, only 17 are listed in the Red Book. Particular attention is paid to the protection of the Japanese snipe, which remains endangered.
Any person who sees and hears a snipe will fall in love with this bird. Many will be delighted by the graceful flight or mating songs. The bright plumage will cause no less delight.
Snipe wings
Listen to the snipe sound
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Appearance and features
Photo: Snipe bird
Snipes are small, vagrant birds with short legs and necks. Their straight beak, reaching 6.4 cm, is approximately twice the size of the head and is used for searching for food. Males weigh on average 130 grams, females are smaller, weighing between 78-110 grams. The bird has a wingspan of 39 to 45 cm and an average body length of 26.7 cm (23 to 28 cm). The body is motley with a black or brown pattern + straw-yellow tinted stripes on top and a pale belly. They have a dark stripe running through the eyes, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are triangular and pointed.
The common snipe is the most common of several similar species. It most closely resembles the American snipe (G. delicata), which until recently was considered a subspecies of the common snipe (G. gallinago). They differ in the number of tail feathers: seven pairs in G. gallinago and eight pairs in G. delicata. The North American species also has a slightly thinner white trailing edge to the wings. They are also very similar to the Asian snipe (G. stenura) and Wood snipe (G. megala) of East Asia. Identification of these species is very difficult.
Interesting fact: Snipe makes loud noises, which is why it is often called lamb. This is explained by the fact that the bird is capable of producing a characteristic bleat during the mating season.
Snipe is a very recognizable bird. On the head the crown is dark brown with noticeable pale stripes. The cheeks and ear pads are painted dark brown. The eyes are dark brown. The legs and feet are yellow or grayish-green.
Attitude towards people
Long-nosed snipe and its other species are distinguished by a calm disposition, which is why they are sometimes called “forest lambs.” Such an affectionate nickname indicates that the birds are very affectionate and kind. People love snipes for the beauty of their flight and the grace of their plumage.
There is another version that explains why snipes are called that. It has nothing to do with their character, but with the sound they make. The fact is that when diving, the feathers on the tail begin to vibrate, which is why a “bleating” is heard.
Where does the snipe live?
Photo: Snipe in Russia
Snipe nesting sites are located throughout most of Europe, Northern Asia and Eastern Siberia. The North American subspecies breeds in Canada and the United States to the California border. The range of Eurasian species extends south through southern Asia and into central Africa. They migrate and spend the winter in the warmer climate of Central Africa. Snipes are also native to Ireland and Great Britain.
Their breeding grounds are found throughout almost all of Europe and Asia, extending west to Norway, east to the Sea of Okhotsk and south to central Mongolia. They also breed along the outer coast of Iceland. When not breeding, snipes migrate to India, as far as the coast of Saudi Arabia, along the northern Sahara, western Turkey and into central Africa, from as far west as Mauritania to Ethiopia, extending into areas as far south as Zambia.
Snipes are migratory birds. They are found only in freshwater wetlands and wet grasslands. Birds nest in drier, grassy, non-flooded meadows near feeding areas. During the breeding season, snipes are found near open freshwater or brackish marshes, marshy meadows and marshy tundra where there is rich vegetation. Habitat selection during the non-breeding season is similar to those during the breeding season. They also live in man-made habitats such as rice fields.
What does snipe eat?
Photo: Wading bird snipe
Snipe feed in small groups, going out to fish at dawn and dusk, in shallow water or close to the water. The bird searches for food by exploring the soil with its long, sensitive beak, which performs striking movements. Snipes find most of their food on mudflats, within 370 m of the nest. They explore moist soil to locate most of their diet, which consists mainly of invertebrates.
From April to August, when the soil is soft enough to probe with its beak, the snipe's diet will consist of earthworms and insect larvae. The snipe's beak is specially designed to adapt to this type of feeding. Their diet throughout the year includes 10–80%: earthworms, adult insects, small insects, small gastropods and arachnids. Plant fibers and seeds are consumed in smaller quantities.
Interesting fact: A study of snipe feces showed that the majority of the diet consisted of earthworms (61% of the diet by dry weight), mosquito larvae (24%), snails and slugs (3.9%), butterfly and moth larvae (3 .7%). Other taxonomic groups that made up less than 2% of the diet include non-biting midges (1.5%), adult beetles (1.1%), rove beetles (1%), beetle larvae (0.6%) and spiders (0.6 %).
During a hunt, a bird plunges its long beak to the ground into the ground and, without removing it back, swallows food. Snipe is an excellent swimmer and can dive into the water. It rarely uses its wings when looking for food, but moves on the ground. It uses its wings to migrate to warm countries.
Operating principle
After the shot, part of the powder gases is taken from the barrel and pushes the piston of the gas engine. He, in turn, uses two rods to move the bolt frame back, as a result of which the spent cartridge case is removed, the impact mechanism is cocked and the return spring is compressed. When the bolt moves back, the elevator feeds the cartridge from the hopper to the loading line, the bolt cylinder pushes it into the chamber and, swinging upward, hooks its tooth into the hole in the shank of the barrel breech. The weapon is loaded and ready to fire. After all the cartridges have been used up, the bolt carrier is delayed.
To load the gun, engage the safety by sliding the safety button on the rear of the trigger guard to the left. Turn the gun with the magazine hopper window up, press the bolt stop lever and push the elevator down. The cartridges are fed into the magazine with the cartridge case facing forward. It is forbidden to use those equipped with a pointed bullet, which can puncture the primer.
To load the fourth round, rotate the cut-off lever on the left side of the receiver so that it faces rearward. This will not only hold the cartridges in the magazine, but will also enable the slide stop mode. After this, slide the bolt carrier back, place the cartridge on the feed elevator through the ejector window in the receiver. Press the delay lever and release the bolt frame, which, under the action of the spring, will return to its original position and feed the cartridge into the chamber. Turn off the cutter by turning it towards the front sight.
The cutter can also be used if it is necessary to urgently change the type of cartridge equipment. To do this, turn on the cutter, move the bolt frame back and remove the cartridge from the chamber, then place the desired ammunition on the elevator. Press the slide stop lever, turn off the shutter.
The use of the hunting rifle Bekas Auto 12/76 (Magnum) VPO 201 - 05 Sporting is shown in the video below:
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Snipe in nature
Snipes have adapted well to wet, swampy areas. The bird is unpretentious and can also settle on clay soils, near ponds and swamps with fairly dense vegetation, in which it can find a reliable shelter for itself. Depending on the distance from the nests to the feeding areas, females can walk or fly between them. Those snipes that feed within 70 m of the nesting sites walk, while those that are more than 70 m from the feeding sites fly back and forth.
The color of the bird's plumage blends harmoniously with its environment. Such camouflage plumage makes the snipe invisible to the human eye. The bird moves along the wet surface and explores the soil with its beak, looking around with high-set eyes. An unexpectedly disturbed snipe flees.
The winter is spent in warm regions. Wintering sites are located near fresh water bodies, and sometimes on the sea coast. Some populations are sessile or partially migratory. Many individuals remain in England for the winter, when birds from Scandinavia and Iceland join local populations to enjoy the flooded grasslands, which provide them with abundant food sources and vegetation for protection. During migration they fly in flocks called “key”. They look rather sluggish in flight. The wings are pointed triangles, and the long beak is held at a downward angle.
INTERESTING FACTS, INFORMATION…
- To produce the characteristic bleating sound, an ordinary snipe must beat its wings 10-11 times per second.
- Thanks to its large eyes, the common snipe sees well at dusk.
- The snipe carries the chicks to safety by holding them between their toes while the bird flies low to the ground.
- The name snipe comes from the French word. The root of this word translated into Russian means “beak.”
- Sometimes snipes, due to their long legs, are classified as a member of the order Storkidae, whose representatives also inhabit humid areas.
- The current snipe can throw itself down from a height of about 70 meters.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Snipe bird
Snipes are monogamous birds, meaning one male mates with one female per year. Males can be classified as dominant or submissive. Females prefer to mate with dominant males who occupy the highest quality territories, called core territories, which are located in the center of their primary habitat.
Fun fact: Females select males based on their drumming abilities. Drumming is a method of wind, and the outer tail feathers create a unique, species-specific sound.
The snipe breeding season lasts from early June to mid-July. They nest in areas camouflaged by vegetation, near marshy areas. Snipes typically lay 4 olive-colored eggs with dark brown spots. Their incubation period lasts about 18-21 days. After the eggs hatch, it takes 15-20 days before the chicks leave the nest and take their first flight. Snipes reach reproductive maturity after 1 year.
During the incubation period, males have less association with the eggs than females. After the female lays her eggs, she spends most of her time incubating them. However, during the daytime females do not spend as much time in the nest as at night, mainly due to lower temperatures at night. After the eggs hatch, males and females care for the two young equally until they leave the nest.
Way of existence
Birds are wary and secretive. They can run quickly through wetlands, although they do not swim. They appear in breeding areas in late spring. Mating is necessarily accompanied by mating games.
Males sing songs all day long, especially in the mornings and evenings. In addition, they perform dizzying maneuvers in flight, attracting females. The latter sit in the grass and indicate their presence with special calls. Having completed the mating flight, the male lands on a hill and makes sounds reminiscent of croaking.
Natural enemies of snipe
Photo: Bekas
It is a well-camouflaged and secretive bird that usually hides near vegetation on the ground and will only fly up when danger approaches. During takeoff, snipes make sharp sounds and fly using a series of airborne zigzags to confuse predators. While studying the habits of the bird, ornithologists observed changes in the number of nesting pairs and discovered that the main known predators of snipe in the animal world are:
- common fox (Vulpes Vulpes);
- carrion crow (Corvus corone);
- ermine (Mustela erminea).
But the main predator of birds is man (Homo sapiens), who hunts snipe for sport and for meat. Camouflage may allow snipe to remain undetected by hunters in marshy areas. If the bird is flying, hunters have difficulty shooting due to the bird's erratic flight pattern. The difficulties associated with snipe hunting gave rise to the term "sniper", as in English meaning a hunter highly skilled in archery and camouflage, who later evolved into a sharpshooter, or someone who shoots from a hidden location.
Interesting fact: The word “sniper” originated in the 19th century from the English name for snipe, snipe. The zigzag flight and small size of the snipe made it a difficult but desirable target, since the shooter who hit it was considered a virtuoso.
In most European countries, annual estimates of snipe hunting average around 1,500,000 per year, making humans the main predators of these birds.
Hatching chicks
The pair begins to create a nest in early summer. The female finds a place in a floodplain meadow, swamp or field. The nest is built on the ground in a small hole. The bottom is covered with grass, where eggs are laid. Usually there are four. They are shaped like an olive-colored cone. The eggs are colored with dark specks on top.
The duration of incubation is three weeks. Only after drying, the babies leave the nest, accompanied by their parents. They make their first attempts to take off within 20 days. During this entire period they are under the protection of adult birds.
snipe eggs
