Species authority page

Wilson's snipe

Gallinago delicata · Migratory game birds

Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata): 9.8-11.8 in; round-bodied sandpiper with a very long bill and short legs. Heavy lengthwise stripes on the head and back; barred sides. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Wilson's snipe — verified North Ground species photograph
North Ground · All rights reserved
Scientific name
Gallinago delicata
Family
Scolopacidae
Range
Breeds across Canada, Alaska and the northern United States and winters commonly across the southern United States; recorded in every Audubon region of Canada and the U.S.
Biology

How to identify it

9.8-11.8 in; round-bodied sandpiper with a very long bill and short legs. [1]

Heavy lengthwise stripes on the head and back; barred sides. [1]

Flushes in zigzag flight with a sharp, rasping 'scaip!'. [1]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Do not identify Wilson's snipe from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Breeds around fresh marshes, bogs, shrubby streamsides and northern tundra. [1]

In migration and winter uses fresh and salt marshes, muddy banks, wet pastures and flooded fields. [1]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Solitary; seldom on open mudflats, often overlooked outside the breeding season. [1]

In breeding season males yammer from posts and produce a hollow winnowing sound in display flights, often at night. [1]

Probes soft mud with a sensitive, flexible bill tip for insect larvae and earthworms. [1]

Probably migrates alone; some Canadian birds reach the Lesser Antilles and South America. [1]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Breeds across Canada, Alaska and the northern United States and winters commonly across the southern United States; recorded in every Audubon region of Canada and the U.S.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society