Some birds try to attract attention with a striking plumage. Snipes are just the opposite. Their camouflage is so good, you can hardly even see them. If they don't move, they are just another part of their surroundings. Should they take flight, they move as rapidly as possible. By flying in a zigzag pattern, they make it very difficult for hunters to shoot them with their rifles. In fact, hunters that specialized in snipe were called snipers, a term later adopted by the military.