Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's SnipeWilson's SnipeWilson's SnipeWilson's Snipe

Wilson's Snipe

Gallinago delicata

Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Banff National Park
438 Verified sightings at Banff National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,873 Verified sightings across all 39 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. The generic name Gallinago is Neo-Latin for a woodcock or snipe from Latin gallina, "hen" and the suffix -ago, "resembling". The specific name delicata is Latin for "dainty".

This species was considered to be a subspecies of the common snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status, though not all authorities recognized this immediately. Wilson's snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the common snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson.

Adults are 23–28 cm (9.1–11.0 in) in length with a 39–45 cm (15–18 in) wingspan. Weight ranges from 2.8–5.2 oz (79–147 g). They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are pointed.

They breed in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows in Canada and the northern United States and on the Chukchi Peninsula... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Banff National Park

Spotted Sandpiper
LC

Spotted Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Solitary Sandpiper
LC

Solitary Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa solitaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hudsonian Godwit
VU

Hudsonian Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa haemastica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Lesser Yellowlegs
VU

Lesser Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Greater Yellowlegs
NT

Greater Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa melanoleuca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-necked Phalarope
LC

Red-necked Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Least Sandpiper
NT

Least Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris minutilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Long-billed Dowitcher
NT

Long-billed Dowitcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Pectoral Sandpiper
LC

Pectoral Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris melanotos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Semipalmated Sandpiper
NT

Semipalmated Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris pusilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus tricolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Stilt Sandpiper
NT

Stilt Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris himantopus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
3 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
5 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
12 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
13 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
16 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
17 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
18 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
19 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
23 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
24 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
26 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
30 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
31 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
32 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
33 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
34 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
35 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
36 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
37 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
38 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
39 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Wilson's Snipe in Banff National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wilson's Snipe sighting in Banff National Park, based on 438 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Wilson's Snipe in Banff National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Wilson's Snipe in Banff National Park in our monthly data.

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