Habitat selection and diet of Great Snipe Gallinago media during breeding

The Great Snipe Gallinago media is considered to be an endangered species. This paper examines its food and habitat use on a sub‐alpine/low‐alpine breeding area in central Norway. It was estimated that earthworms constitute more than 90% of Great Snipe food (by weight). Feeding birds selected the low herb willow scrub vegetation community and to a lesser degree eutrophic fen. Birds did not selectively feed on eutrophic dwarf birch/juniper heath despite it being the third most used vegetation community by virtue of its extent. Although soil penetrability, vegetation cover and earthworm density varied across vegetation communities, Great Snipe selected sites with similar habitat characteristics in different vegetation communities. Great Snipe seemed to select for an optimal combination of soil penetrability and earthworm density, and for medium scrub cover. Nests were found in a broad range of vegetation communities, but only low herb willow scrub was selectively used. However, an equal number of nests was found in eutrophic fen due to its larger extent. Dense vegetation cover around nests and short flushing distance of incubating females indicate low sensitivity to disturbance. We consider the Great Snipe to be a food and habitat specialist, requiring habitats rich in sub‐surface invertebrates to breed. This may explain its scattered distribution in Scandinavia, and may render it vulnerable to habitat modification and loss.