Common Snipe

Also known as Eurasian Snipe, Heather-bleater, Fantail Snipe

Common snipes are masters of camouflage that rely on mottled brown and buff plumage to melt entirely into marshland vegetation. When displaying in spring, males perform aerial roller-coaster flights, diving sharply to make their modified outer tail feathers vibrate into a resonant, bleating hum known as winnowing. If flushed by surprise, they erupt from the bog in an erratic zigzag escape flight accompanied by a raspy, scolding call.