Its upperparts, head and neck are streaked and patterned with warm brown and buff, and the gold edges to the feathers form lines down its back, which are not as sharply defined as in most snipe species.

The Jameson's snipe is found in marshy areas where grassland and forest intergrade, at altitudes ranging between 2,100 – 3,800 m (mostly 3,000 – 3,500 m).

Little is known of its behaviour, but it has an aerial display, which involves flying high in circles, followed by a dive during which the bird makes a drumming sound, caused by vibrations of its modified outer tail feathers.

The Jameson's snipe forages by pushing its long bill deep into the mud seeking insects and worms.

The Jameson's snipe has a large range, with an estimated extent of 260,000 km², but the population size is unknown.