Common Snipe

The common snipe is a small, stocky wader 25–27 centimetres long, with a wingspan of 44–47 centimetres and a weight of 80–140 grams. It has short greenish-grey legs and a very long, straight dark bill of 5.5–7 centimetres. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes above and pale underneath, with a dark stripe through the eye and light stripes above and below it. It is the most widespread of several similar snipes and most closely resembles Wilson's snipe of North America, until recently treated as a subspecies. (Wikipedia, general species account)

The common snipe breeds in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout the Palearctic, reaching about 70°N in Fennoscandia and 74°N on the Taymyr Peninsula. It is usually shy and well camouflaged, foraging in soft mud mainly for insects and earthworms, and also some plant material. In courtship the male performs a winnowing display, flying high in circles and then diving in shallow dives, vibrating the tail feathers to produce a drumming sound. (Wikipedia, general species account)