Wilson's Snipe is a plump shorebird of wet meadows and bogs, famous for the eerie, mechanical-sounding 'winnowing' of its courtship display — produced not by its voice but by air rushing through its outer tail feathers during steep aerial dives. It is perfectly camouflaged with its streaky brown pattern and is extremely difficult to spot in vegetation. When flushed it explodes in a zigzag flight with a harsh 'scaipe' call.
Best time to see a Wilson's Snipe
The best time to see a Wilson's Snipe is November–March, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 18,103 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Wilson's Snipe? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Wilson's Snipe sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Wilson's Snipe? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Wilson's Snipe is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love birds? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.