A small snipe that hides in wet grassland and visits Britain for the winter, from autumn into spring.
Much smaller than the Common Snipe, it has patterned plumage that blends into marshy grassland.
In Britain it is a winter visitor from autumn into spring, and it may quickly drop back to the ground after taking flight.
On its breeding grounds the usual clutch is four eggs, incubated by the female for 17–24 days. Chicks hatch downy and able to move about.
It bobs with a spring-like motion while feeding. When approached it crouches and remains hidden until the last moment, then flies low and soon drops back to the ground.
It is smaller and more compact than Common Snipe, with a much shorter bill and intricate brown camouflage plumage.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.