What is the difference between a snipe and jack snipe?

[kobidog]

Right first of all I shoot on a farm in Essex and I know that Jack snipe are protected in england. Now we have a small boggy area and when i last stalked up to it looking for teal I flushed a good dozen birds that were either snipe or jack snipe but I don't know which so I didn't shoot. I dont know if this information is helpful but they flew up without making a noise, they didn't call atall...So does anyone know whether these would be jack snipe or common snipe, or how i could tell the difference between the two? Are jack snipe even present in this part of england? Cheers

[washerboy]

Jack snipe, are a lot smaller,fly and then Run.also make a different Sound.

Only read this in the shooting times

 

[scolopax]

jacks fly quite low and often for only a short distance before pitching in again. Common snipe are the size of a starling whereas jacks are little more than sparrow sized.

[guest1957]

A good identification tip comes courtesy of the RSPB: It (the Jack Snipe) will fly low and rapidly drop down again, unlike snipe which zig-zags and then flies off high.

 

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/j/jacksnipe/index.aspx

[Fal]

I identify them mainly by the noise they make. Jack Snipe I find take off almost silently, common Snipe 9 times out of 10 make a noise as they get up. The Jack Snipe are a lot smaller and have different markings on the back of the Common Snipe.

 

I also find Jack Snipe get up a lot later than common Snipe, you can almost walk on them. I dont shoot Snipe anymore, the amount of meat on them is tiny, but they are a very testing shot and good sport.

[ant1]

jack snipe also have smaller bills will zig zag around 3 times before going up and come back down at short distance a common snipe will zig zag around 6-7 times before climing up quite high.

[aister]

I always think that Jack Snipe have a weaker flight than a Common Snipe if you know what I mean. A Common Snipe is up and off but a Jack is like a hankey blowing in the wind and goes no distance before landing in again.