Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusLymnocryptes
- SpeciesLymnocryptes minimus (Jack Snipe)
About the Jack Snipe
The jack snipe or jacksnipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) is a small stocky wader. It is the smallest snipe, and the only member of the genus Lymnocryptes. Features such as its sternum and its continuous 'bobbing up and down' make it quite distinct from other snipes or woodcocks.
The jack snipe was formally described in 1764 by the Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich under the binomial name Scolopax minima. He specified the type locality as the Danish island of Christiansø. Brünnich based his account on "La petite béccassine" that had been described and illustrated in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The jack snipe is now the only species placed in the genus Lymnocryptes that was introduced in 1826 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The species is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The genus name Lymnocryptes is from Ancient Greek limne, "marsh" and kruptos, "hidden". The species name minimus is from Latin and means "smallest".
The common name has been said to come from the Welsh word for a snipe, giach (pronounced with a hard g), but modern dictionaries say it comes from the masculine name Jack. Alfred Newton hypothesized... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Jack Snipe in Vatnajokull National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritima
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Red Knot
Calidris canutus
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticola
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 5 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 14 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 15 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 16 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 17 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 19 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Jack Snipe in Vatnajokull National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Jack Snipe sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Jack Snipe in Vatnajokull National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Jack Snipe in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.