The long bill of the snipe is admirably suited to its feeding habits - probing the soft mud of swamp and marsh, and literally feeling for its food - for the tips of both mandibles are pliable and full of sensitive nerves.
In spring, snipe may be seen flying high and suddenly diving and emitting a peculiar bleating note. This sound is made not by the throat but by the two outer tail feathers which, in the dive, are separated from the rest and give out the peculiar sound.
It nests in a tussock of rush and grass, and the four eggs are laid in a grass-lined hollow.
