From Opus

Photo by IanF
Dormans Pool, Billingham, UK, September 2003

Gallinago gallinago

[edit] Identification

• Brown back with creamy stripes
• Striped head with cream central stripe
• White belly
• Barred flanks
• Long bill

[edit] Similar Species

Photo by Copout
Barton, Lincolnshire, February 2009

Wilson's Snipe³. The much smaller Jack Snipe.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds in northern Palearctic; winters in southern Europe, Africa, and Asia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Formerly contained Wilson's Snipe (delicata), now recognized as a full species.

[edit] Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies¹:

• G. g. faeroeensis - breeds in Iceland, Faroe Islands, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands; winters to British Isles
• G. g. gallinago - protected by AEWA²; breeds in N Palearctic and Aleutian Islands; winters to Africa, India, Indonesia

'Drumming'
Photo by Robert L Jarvis
Teesdale, Yorkshire, April 2010

[edit] Habitat

They breed in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows.

[edit] Behaviour

The cryptic plumage makes them difficult to see amongst the vegetation. When disturbed, they fly off in a series of zig-zags.

[edit] Breeding

The nest is well concealed on the ground.

[edit] Vocalisation

The song has been described as "Chip..per Chip..per."
Breeding display produces a drumming sound

[edit] Reference

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.
3. A thread describing the differences between this species and Wilson's Snipe is found [here]
4. Wikipedia
5. Nation master

• List of references

[edit] External Links