From Opus

Photo by Carl Baggott
Photographed: Higher Moors, St Mary's, Isles Of Scilly, England

Lymnocryptes minimus

[edit] Identification

• Mottled brown upperparts, paler underneath
• Dark stripe through the eye
• Wings pointed and narrow
• Yellow back stripes visible in flight
• Habit of bobbing up and down even when otherwise standing still

[edit] Similar Species

Jack Snipe lacks the pale central crown stripe seen in for example Common Snipe which is larger and has a longer bill

[edit] Distribution

Breeds from coastal Europe (Atlantic coast - UK and Scandinavia; Mediterranean coast) to Siberia; winters to tropical Africa, India and South-east Asia.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows with short vegetation.

[edit] Behaviour

Inclined to 'sit tight' only being flushed at the last minute

[edit] Breeding

They nest in a well-hidden location on the ground, laying 3-4 eggs.

[edit] Diet

These birds forage in soft mud, probing or picking up food by sight. Diet includes insects and earthworms, also plant material.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] External Links