' SOME OBSERVATIONS ON NOCTURNAL sere OF WILSON'S SNIPE - NEWFOUNDLAND 
(1953) 
Leslie M. Tuck 
Canadian Wildlife Service 
Wilson's snipe (Capella gallinago delicata) are fairly common on 
the island of Newfoundland. These snipe have a territorial flight song 
which is most evident during the twilight hours of evening and morning. 
Since this period of flight song or "winnowing" appears to have a 
potential which can be measured in order to determine populations, a 
preliminary study of this phase of behavior was made in 1953. The 
principal objects of the study were to determine: 
a. Range and audibility of the winnowing sound. 
b. Extent of territorial or performing areas. 
ce Durations of the winnowing periods and the factors 
controlling them. 
d. Duration of the "peak intervals" when the maximum 
numbers of individuals are performing simultaneously. 
This report includes data gathered during eight complete nights 
and eleven additional post-sunset periods. In all, 27 winnowing 
periods were studied. I was assisted in recording by W. I. Campbell. 
Areas studied.--No special location in which to conduct the snipe 
studies this year was determined beforehand, although it was known that 
the site should be reasonably free of traffic disturbances. Three areas 
were chosen at random for comparative studies: Bay Bulls (near St. 
John's) = a sedge-alder marsh; Tompkin'ts (on the west coast) - a rich 
river bottom; and Salmonier (centre of the Avalon Peninsula) - a sedge- 
rush marsh bordering a river, Additional single post-sunset periods 
were studied in areas of similar composition. No attempt was made to 
sample the bog-marsh communities which also support a breeding popula- 
tion, The exact site at Bay Bulls from which data were recorded was 
determined by the only suitable spot to take the car off the road. 
The data at Tomkin's and Salmonier were obtained from the backyard 
(as it were) of the boarding houses we stayed in. These locations, 
as well as those of the additional areas studied, are recorded in our 
field notes in order to facilitate future comparative studies. Need- 
less to say, we did not wander from these sites during actual recording. 


Methods,.-=-The period from sunset to sunrise was considered most 
promising for study. Activity after sunrise soon proved to be erratic 
and of little consequence. All-night studies commenced at 8 p.m. and 
were terminated around 6 a.m. (Newfoundland Daylight Time). When it 
was convenient to record only the post-sunset winnowing period, the 
sessions terminated around 11 pem. by which time, unless it was a 
bright moonlight night, the earlier activity had ceased. 
Fal 
