Snipe are masters of mystery. Perfectly camouflaged, they vanish into the landscape, rarely seen and barely heard - only issuing their ‘scaap scaap’ alarm call when surprised. Wet meadows are being drained, vital habitats are vanishing, and climate change is reshaping the world that snipe rely on.
We still know far too little about these birds – especially their migration. Where do they go, what habitats do they rely on, and what threats do they face along the way? Without answers, we cannot protect them and without protection we risk losing them.
New micro-technology gives us a rare opportunity to track snipe in near-real=time — revealing their journeys, stopover sites, and breeding grounds. This data is vital to understanding their populations and guiding conservation efforts.
“Tracking snipe will show us where they go, how they live, and where we must act to protect them.”
— Bleddyn Thomas, GWCT Wetland Researcher
Your donation can power this breakthrough research
Every pound helps us tag and track more birds, unearthing the secrets of snipe migration and helping halt their decline.
- £24 buys 100 leg rings
- £130 buys a mist-net for catching snipe
- £340 covers a 12-month satellite data subscription for one tag
- £850 covers travel and accommodation for tagging birds at one site
- £2,150 funds a Lotek Sunbird transmitter to track spring migration
- £15,000 contributes towards a specialist ornithologist to deliver the project
Together, we can reveal the hidden life of the common snipe, and ensure they remain part of our wild world for generations to come