Solitary Snipe

About the Solitary Snipe

The solitary snipe (Gallinago solitaria) is a stocky wader. It is found in the Palearctic from northeast Iran to Korea and Japan. The solitary snipe is a heavy snipe 29–31 cm long with a stocky body and relatively short legs for a wader. Its upperparts, head and neck are streaked and patterned with medium brown stripes and whitish edges to the feathers forming lines down its back. The face is whitish. The breast is ginger-brown and the belly is white with brown barring on the flanks. The brown and black bill is long, straight and fairly slender. The legs and feet are yellowish-olive to yellowish-brown. All plumages are similar, but females average larger.

There are two quite similar subspecies. Nominate G. s. solitaria is very widespread. The breeding range of G. s. japonica, which is richer red and less white above, is unknown, but it winters in Japan. The solitary snipe makes a hoarse kensh call as it takes off, and has a far carrying chok-a-chok-a call when displaying.

The solitary snipe has a relatively slow, heavy flight. The solitary snipe breeds discontinuously in the mountains of eastern Asia, in eastern Russia, Kazakhstan,... Wikipedia →