Snipes ("Zigzag Zeppelins") are among my favorite birds, right next to American Woodcock. They waddle like obese penguins and their mellow winnowing is one of my favorite common sounds of marshes and creeks.
Their camouflage keeps Wilson's Snipes from being seen by most predators/humans, but when spotted and encroached upon by a larger creature they will flush up into the air in a millisecond and disappear into thin air. They stay well hidden (when not flushed) until breeding season, causing lots of frustration for birders and predators alike!
Snipes feed and often act like woodcocks, probing mud with their flexible and fantastic-looking bills and bobbing around cutely.
Wilson's Snipe, Laguna Niguel Regional Park
(Look at that adorable face!)
Ditto.
Sadly, snipes are commonly hunted throughout their range. What kind of person would want to shoot snipes with their adorable innocent faces and waddling? Respond in the comments.
-chiccadee
:)
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