Appearance:

Notably smaller, darker and with shorter bill than Common Snipe. Two prominent yellowish back-stripes. Dark wedge-shaped tail, and slightly rounded wings. Lacks median crown-stripe. Flanks spotted, not barred. Diagnostic behaviour: Usually flushed only at close range. Takes off silently, then quickly lands nearby. Whole body bounces rhythmically when feeding.

Sound:

May occasionally give a harsh, nasal and rolling "reearrr" when flushed, but is usually silent. Display call a peculiar, cyclic and rhythmic sound performed in flight. Recalling a galloping horse in the distance. "Galloping" interspersed with cyclic, whistling, hissing sounds. Hard to locate when displaying. Seems both close and distant at the same time.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:nhtbzk, Licence,Link,

CC-photo:Radovan Václav, Licence,Link,

CC-sound:Stein Ø. Nilsen, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Slightly smaller and less heavy than Willow Ptarmigan. Overall greyer plumage, and a more delicate bill. Male summer with grey upperparts and white underparts. Female summer with browner upperparts than male. Both sexes completely white in winter plumage, except for black lores in males. Wings white and tail feathers black in all plumages in both sexes.

Sound:

Call of male a very distinct "rrrrrrr", being a rattling rapid pulse of clicks, like running a stick along a picket fence. Female has similar sounds, but is higher pitched and not so coarse as male.

Flushed:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:fveronesi1, Licence,Link,

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.