Wilson's Snipe

About the Wilson's Snipe

A stocky, superbly camouflaged shorebird, the Wilson's Snipe is built for hiding in plain sight - boldly striped in buff and brown that melt into muddy, grassy edges, with an extraordinarily long, straight bill for its size. Crouched at the water's edge, it can be almost impossible to see until it moves.

Snipe probe soft mud for worms, insect larvae, and other invertebrates with a rhythmic, sewing-machine motion, the flexible bill-tip feeling for prey underground. When flushed, a snipe bursts away in a fast, zigzagging flight with a harsh, rasping call that startles anyone nearby.

In Texas the Wilson's Snipe is a common migrant and winter bird, haunting marshes, flooded fields, and the wet, grassy margins of ponds and ditches across the state.

A note from behind the lens: they are easy to walk past, so scan the muddy edges slowly and look for the stripes and that long bill. Once you spot a feeding bird, ease down low and let it work toward you - a snipe reflected in shallow water, probing, makes a lovely quiet image.