About the Jack Snipe
The jack snipe or jacksnipe is a small stocky wader. It is the smallest snipe, and the only member of the genus Lymnocryptes. Features such as its sternum and its continuous 'bobbing up and down' make it quite distinct from other snipes or woodcocks.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Adults are smaller than common snipes and have relatively shorter bills. The bird's length is 18–25 cm (7.1–9.8 in), wingspan is 30–41 cm (12–16 in) and weight is 33–73 g (1.2–2.6 oz). The body is mottled brown on top and pale underneath. Jack snipes have a dark stripe through the eye. The wings are pointed and narrow, and yellow back stripes are visible in flight. When seen, the distinctive bobbing movement, as if the bird is on springs, has an almost hypnotic quality.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Jack Snipe sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Japan, Kenya, Thailand, Mauritania, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a passage migrant species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaAdults have long dark legs and a long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip.
Wandering TattlerTringa incanaThe wandering tattler was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataA small-medium wader, the portly sandpiper has a pot belly, flat back and somewhat drawn-out rear end.
Side by side: Hudsonian Godwit vs Jack Snipe · Jack Snipe vs Sharp-tailed Sandpiper · Jack Snipe vs Wandering Tattler
Learn the Jack Snipe for real
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