Scientific name: Lymnocryptes minimus (Brunnich, 1764)
Bird group: Waders
Field characters. 18 cm. Smallest of all snipes; relatively short-billed and short-legged, and with a large head. Upperparts black with green and purple sheen, striped with golden-cream on back and richly blotched on wings; black crown has 2, (not 3 as in Common Snipe and Great Snipe) golden-cream stripes; face, chest and flanks pale buff to golden-buff, lightly streaked with brown; rest of underparts white. Bill yellowish, legs blue-green. Distinguishable from other snipes by small size, shorter bill and flight-pattern. Alights quickly after short flight, instead of "towering" and zig-zagging erratically, as in Snipe. Less gregarious than Snipe in all times of year.
Voice. Generally silent, even when flushed (in contrast to Common Snipe); occasionally utters a weak, Snipe-like "gaag". Another sound, which is often heard -but bird itself remains unseen-, is so-called "cantering-call", which resembles a horse galloping at a the distance, uttered on breeding grounds.
Distribution. Locally a fairly rare breeding bird, decreasing in numbers; as a result of secretive habits no definite figures are available for passage migrants and winter visitors, although it may locally always be present in small numbers.
Habitat. Breeds predominantly inland on swamps, bogs and wet patches of taiga; outside breeding-season also on wet terrain, but not near salt or deep water. Prefers habitats with plenty of cover.
Food. Chiefly insects and worms, but also a fair amount of plant seeds.