Swinhoe's Snipe
Gallinago megala
Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusGallinago (Typical Snipes)
- SpeciesGallinago megala (Swinhoe's Snipe)
About the Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's snipe (Gallinago megala), also known as forest snipe or Chinese snipe, is a medium-sized (length 27–29 cm, wingspan 38–44 cm, weight 120 gm), long-billed, migratory wader. The common name commemorates the British naturalist Robert Swinhoe who first described the species in 1861.
It is identifiable as a Gallinago snipe by its cryptically patterned black, brown, buff and white plumage, but it is not easily distinguished from Latham's and pin-tailed snipe in the field. The species is commonly referred to as a cho suekyung in South Korea.
It breeds mainly in central and southern Siberia and Mongolia. The entire population migrates and spends the non-breeding season principally in eastern and southern India, Sri Lanka, south-eastern China, South-East Asia and New Guinea. It has been recorded on migration in eastern China and occasionally in Japan. Records in Australia are mainly from the Top End of the Northern Territory and from north-western Western Australia.
Breeding habitat: forest glades and meadows. Non-breeding habitat: shallow freshwater wetlands of various kinds including paddy fields and sewage farms, with bare mud... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Swinhoe's Snipe in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Pin-tailed Snipe
Gallinago stenura
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Long-toed Stint
Calidris subminuta
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckii
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticola
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 2 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Swinhoe's Snipe in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swinhoe's Snipe sighting in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Swinhoe's Snipe in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Swinhoe's Snipe in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in our monthly data.