Gallinago media - Great Snipe
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.71-0.76 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and (partly) pigmented (more than 50%) internodes. Slightly thickened nodes (26-30 per mm) are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules, only slightly decreasing in size towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs may be present along the entire length of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. These prongs are unequally distributed, and many nodal structures without prongs may be found. Distribution of prongs may vary between different body feathers.
Field characters. Size 28 cm. Weight: male 157 g, female 184 g (Dunning, 1993). Like Common Snipe, but slightly larger and bulkier. Has a relatively larger head with shorter bill. General colouring like Common Snipe, but underside almost completely barred, upperwing coverts with broad white tips (in adult) and outer tail feathers with much white, though obscured with barring in juvenile. Does not have the harsh call of Common Snipe when flushed; generally stays lower without the zig-zagging flight of that species and quickly returns into cover. Almost never found in flocks.
Voice. A very silent species. When flushed sometimes a short grating call. Males very vocal on communal displaying arenas.
Distribution. A rare species, in general declining throughout its range, but may be locally common. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. During breeding season found in freshwater marshes and bogs, generally with sufficient cover of bushes and trees. On migration often found in much drier areas than Common Snipe. In winter found in marshes as well as in drier habitat.
Food. Invertebrates and some vegetable matter, as for Common Snipe.