A flooded area in the middle of the swampy lowland of the Nuthe, south of the Fläming in southern Brandenburg only 30 km south of Berlin. As soon as I arrive at the wetland at dawn, snipes (Gallinago gallinago) start flying. The area was heavily flooded in the winter. Now the highest water levels have receded, revealing muddy meadow areas with the loose vegetation that is important for the snipe. This is also where the courtship grounds of this species of snipe are located in spring. Common snipes are known for the noise that the males make in the air during their courtship flight with their two spread outer tail feathers. After they have risen above their breeding territory to a height of sometimes more than 50 meters, they let themselves fall into the depths with their wings slightly bent. When it dives, the “wind” causes the two flared feathers to vibrate so that they sound like the bleating of a goat.
Some male snipes can fly up and down nonstop for up to an hour, thus drawing the attention of a female to them and to a suitable breeding site on the ground. If they finally land in the grass on damp ground, the courtship continues with loud calls (djeppe-djeppe, ticke-ticke-ticke or ticka-ticka-ticka). Scientists and hunters have been arguing bitterly for decades as to whether birds produce their bleating sounds with their voices or with their feathers.
According to Wikipedia, the German name “snipe” is derived from the French word bécasse for woodcock or snipe and therefore means “little woodcock”.
A good 70 different german names can be found in some ornithological books. “Sky Goat” is probably the most popular of them.
Whatever the name, draining wetlands is harming birds!
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