Great Snipe

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Rough grass, dunes (rare).
Diet: Worms, insects.
Best time to spot: Bulky snipe; white tail corners.

When to look

A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

How rare is it?

The Great Snipe sits in our Epic tier for the UK: a scarce visitor, recorded in small numbers in most years. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Common SnipeCommon · Marshes
• Wilson's SnipeLegendary · Wet marshes (extreme vagrant)
• Zitting CisticolaEpic · Rough grass
• Cream-coloured CourserLegendary · Coastal dunes (very rare vagrant)
• KilldeerLegendary · Short grass (rare vagrant)
• Pallas's Grasshopper WarblerLegendary · Rank grass

Kit that helps

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