Did you know that the drumming sound of a snipe doesn’t come from their mouth? They actually have tiny little drumkits hidden amongst their plumage. Well that isn’t true, but they do create the sound with their feathers, specifically by vibrating tail feathers in a courtship display. On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me… 🎼 Twelve snipes drumming! And with that we now have our Twelve Birds of Christmas. If you missed any or want a refresher ahead of this evening's carol singin

12 Snipe are drumming 🥁 And Common Snipe really do drum! This sound isn’t a call or a vocalisation, but a mechanical noise produced by their tail feathers. The two outer tail feathers are structurally different to other feathers, being stiffer and projected further away from the rest of the tail. As the Snipe swoops, the air rushing through these adapted feathers causes them to vibrate which creates this iconic drumming sound. Common Snipe live on wet grassland, marshes and moorland throughout