Photo: Jimfbleak / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Snipe
Gallinago media
Great Snipe (Gallinago media) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Snipe (Gallinago media) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 170 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
- Genus Gallinago
- Species media
Where it lives
Subarctic to temperate meadows of northwestern Palearctic: western, northern Scandinavia and eastern Poland through western Russia to Yenisei River (western Siberia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 170 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Snipe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Great Snipe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Great Snipe (Gallinago media) belongs to the Scolopacidae family of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL subarctic to temperate meadows of nw Palearctic: w, n Scandinavia and e Poland through w Russia to Yenisei River (w Siberia).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 170 g, with a wing length of about 14.1 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Snipe?
The Great Snipe is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 170 g.
Where does the Great Snipe live?
The Great Snipe is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL subarctic to temperate meadows of nw Palearctic: w, n Scandinavia and e Poland through w Russia to Yenisei River (w Siberia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great Snipe belong to?
The Great Snipe (Gallinago media) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Great Snipe eat?
The Great Snipe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Great Snipe migrate?
The Great Snipe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Great Snipe endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Great Snipe make?
1 real field recording of the Great Snipe — including its dawn song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Snipe's range?
The Great Snipe has a mapped global range of about 7.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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