Great Snipe
Latin: Gallinago media (Latham 1787)
Svenska: Dubbelbeckasin
Deutsch: Doppelschnepfe
A Ping-Pong game
In the nights of early summer, Great snipes gather to sing. The males puff out their chests, fan their tailfeathers, and sing a remarkable song. It sounds as if someone is playing ping pong among the songbirds!
Great Snipes were once a common bird in Uppland. They raised their young in open shore meadows. In 1947, 500 Great snipes were shot in Kungsängen just south of Uppsala!
The Great snipes pass by Uppland relatively unnoticed on their way south. They migrate between August and October and spend the winter in the eastern parts of tropical Africa. When they head back again, between April and June every year, their songs can be heard by Hjälstaviken.
Photo: Göran Storensten©
Latest sightings of Great snipes in Uppland
NatureGate on the Great snipe
Wikipedia article on the Great snipe