Anyone help identify these birds

angeldaisy

Looking in my garden just now, there are two birds, low size quite plump and with very long beaks, they look around 1.5inches long?
They are dark but have very distinct paler stripes running down their backs. Wondered if they were snipe or woodcock??

snowstreams

Yeah they could be snipe alright. They become alot more common in peoples gardens during cold spells because the ground in gardens is less likely to be frozen.
I saw one of them yesterday probing the ground in my houseing estate.

homerhop

the wrong colour to be a snipe of woodcock, both of which are a mottled brown

Smartypantsdig

Could you give an indication of size? say compared to a wood pigeon?

Feargal as Luimneach

I'd say common snipe:
If the light was bad they would appear dark (normal colouration mottled brown). Distinct pale stripes on back (as OP says) and plump body fits the bill. There is an outside chance they could be Jack snipe (the OP says the bill was 1.5 inches, which is jack snipe bill length). Jack snipe however are far less common than snipe. An easy way to distinguish then is by flushing them. The snipe flies off in a zig-zag pattern, calling loudly. The jack snipe does not zigzag and rarely calls (when flushed). The Jack snipe lands usually only a short distance (10m) , while the snipe will fly off a good distance

angeldaisy

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

I'd say common snipe:
If the light was bad they would appear dark (normal colouration mottled brown). Distinct pale stripes on back (as OP says) and plump body fits the bill. There is an outside chance they could be Jack snipe (the OP says the bill was 1.5 inches, which is jack snipe bill length). Jack snipe however are far less common than snipe. An easy way to distinguish then is by flushing them. The snipe flies off in a zig-zag pattern, calling loudly. The jack snipe does not zigzag and rarely calls (when flushed). The Jack snipe lands usually only a short distance (10m) , while the snipe will fly off a good distance

I spooked them when I locked the back door and one of them took off, it moved in a arc, definately didn't zigzag and there was no call. it landed in the field behind the garden poss about 20ft away from where it was originally. I've never heard of Jack snipe, I must get myself a decent bird book, we have lots of different types of birds visiting us. Thanks for the info

just looked at pictures of both of them, and it definately looks like the Jack snipe, the beak wasn't long enough to be a common snipe, also the body shape looks closer to the Jack snipe.

Connacht

Brilliant info Feargal, thanks

Rainbowsend

This is a picture of a Snipe that was in my garden earlier in the year when we had snow, January I think?