Snipe: our conservation officer's favourite bird!

As part of our winter appeal, we’re continuing our deep dive into the world of wading birds. In the fourth instalment of our series, let’s focus on the snipe – which plays a crucial role in our wetland ecosystems, but one which is increasingly at risk. 

Wading birds rely on wetlands to survive the colder months, but their habitats are disappearing, and they are facing growing challenges finding enough food and shelter to see them through the colder months. Wetlands are often drained for farming or development, leaving many species without the resources they need to survive the Winter. 

One of the key threats to wading birds is predation, particularly at the egg and chick stage due to an increase of foxes and crows in the countryside. Waders are also long-distant travellers and need places to land and then carry on their journeys.  

This Winter, we’re asking for your help to build a simple, yet potentially lifesaving feature on our farmland at Bere Marsh in Dorset and Lark Rise in Cambridgeshire - a series of shallow, muddy channels to attract wading birds where they can feed and thrive.   

Conservation officer Dr Vince Lea

Common snipe

Dr Vince Lea, our CRT Conservation Officer, has admitted the snipe is his favourite bird!  

“They are great,” he says, “When they are trying to attract a mate, the males fly up high and stick their outer two tail feathers and out and fly down to the ground and it sounds like a kazoo. 

“Snipe spend a lot of time on our farms in winter and are a common wintering bird.

“However, they are very much in decline.  They used to be more widespread and it would be a real win to get a couple of pairs of them nesting. There are some breeding already in Dorset and Cambridgeshire and it would be lovely to see them breed on our farms.” 

Key facts 

• Appearance: Snipe are easily recognisable by their incredibly long bill. Their legs, in contrast, are relatively short. They are brown, with a pattern of black and gold bars, and a stripy brown and gold head. 

• Conservation Status: Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. 

• Size: Snipe typically measure about 25 to 30 cm in length, with a wingspan of around 45 to 55 cm. 

• Habitat: Snipe are most commonly found in damp, marshy areas such as wetlands, bogs, and peatlands, where they feed on invertebrates and other small prey. 

• Lifespan: About three years. 

How You Can Help 

We need your help to provide the resources and habitats that snipe, and many other wading birds so desperately need.  

By contributing to our winter appeal, you can make a real difference in the fight to save these remarkable birds. 

With your support, we can restore wetlands, build vital feeding channels, and create safer, more resilient habitats for snipe across our farms. Together, we can help protect these birds for future generations.