Many people are surprised to learn that the snipe is a real bird, since children are often taken on imaginary “snipe hunts.” The Wilson’s snipe is a long-billed shorebird with a white and brown-striped back and a boldly striped head. It uses its long bill to feed and probe in the mud for worms, larvae and tender roots. Snipe seem to prefer shallow water for feeding. They feed early in the morning and late in the afternoon and seem to be much more active on cloudy days.

Snipe are difficult to see on the ground until they are flushed, when they explode into a zigzag flight with a harsh 2-syllable “ski-ape” call. In spring snipe perform spectacular displays high in the sky. Each male makes a series of power dives during which the outermost tail feathers are held out almost at right angles to the bird’s body. As they swoop through the sky at dusk their vibrating outer tail feathers make a high-pitched sound called winnowing.

Look for these birds in freshwater marshes, flooded meadows, fields, ponds and ditches. In the Leavenworth area snipe are often seen at Fish Lake or in the wetlands near Ranger Road from April through September.