Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Silhouette: Jamie Whitehouse · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusGallinago (Typical Snipes)
- SpeciesGallinago delicata (Wilson's Snipe)
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 →
Recent sightings of Wilson's Snipe in Voyageurs National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Voyageurs National Park
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Wilson's Snipe in Voyageurs National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wilson's Snipe sighting in Voyageurs National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Wilson's Snipe in Voyageurs National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Wilson's Snipe in Voyageurs National Park in our monthly data.