Woodcock, Snipe and Wild Duck

Woodcock (which belong to the same family as snipe) are waders and live in damp woods on a diet of berries, insects and worms. In Britain most woodcock are sedentary but those which live further north in Europe regularly migrate southwards to North Africa.

There are three varieties of snipe but the most likely one to end up in the game bag is the Common Snipe. It is common only in the sense that it is widely distributed - from Ireland to Japan. It nests in this country but its numbers are increased by visitors in autumn and winter. It lives in damp inland haunts, but in hard winters it may move to the shore. It probes the marshy terrain with its long bill for worms and insects. The Great Snipe is a rare visitor that stops occasionally on its migratory journey, but does not nest in this country. The smaller Jack Snipe nests in Scandinavia, northern Russia and Siberia and comes to Britain in the winter.