The Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is the smallest of Sweden's snipes, a mere 17–19 cm long with a wingspan of 30–36 cm and a weight of just 40–85 grams. Its back is dark brown and streaked, crossed by four striking golden lines that glint metallically in good light, while the underside stays pale. The bill is noticeably shorter than a Common Snipe's, roughly the length of the head, and the best mark against that similar species lies in the crown: the Jack Snipe has no pale central stripe, only a solid dark crown with pale side bands. The tail is short, wedge-shaped and lacks white.
The Jack Snipe is remarkably quiet — when flushed it typically rises in total silence, a key difference from the Common Snipe's harsh, shrieking call on take-off. On the breeding grounds the male can be heard giving a dull, thudding display call that recalls distant hoofbeats. It breeds thinly on mires in Sweden's far north, with a population estimated at 6,000–12,000 pairs, and passes through the whole country as a migrant, mostly September to November. It is notoriously hard to find, crouching tight in wet sedge mires, mire edges and overgrown ditches and often flushing only at one's feet. The nest is hidden on a tussock in wet mire, where the female lays around 4 eggs and raises the precocial chicks alone. It feeds by probing soft, damp ground for insects, larvae, worms, small snails and some seeds. Despite resembling other snipes, genetic studies place it closest to the woodcocks, in its own genus.
Read about this species in Swedish →