snipe

Marsh bird of the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes closely related to the woodcock. Snipes use their long, straight bills to probe marshy ground for worms, insects, and molluscs. Their nests are made on the grass, and they lay four eggs.

The cry of the birds resembles the sound ‘scape-scape’, and during the breeding season they make a peculiar drumming or bleating noise in their downward flight. A gamebird, the snipe has a swift and darting flight, making it a difficult target.

Wilson's snipe G. delicata is the commonest US species.