Snipe ID (Pakistan) (1 Viewer)

[Azan Khan]

Hello everyone, hope you are well. Kindly help with ID of this snipe. The current proposal is Solitary Snipe (a winter migrant to the location) but we are not sure. I would really appreciate if you can provide key ID pointers because I'm very confused about it. Thanks in advance

Location: Borit, Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan
Date: 24 Dec 2022
Photos by: Usama Tabani

 

[andyb39]

It's either that or Wood Snipe - I find the two confusingly similar, although Wood has a shorter bill.

 

[DMW]

It looks like Solitary to me. In my (very limited) experience Wood Snipe has very dark, almost blackish mantle with very contrasting braces, and a shorter, deeper-based bill. It also appears to be in classic Solitary habitat.

 

[James Eaton]

Solitary Snipe - as Duncan mentions, bill shape is a key pointer, short and deep-based, but also check out the flank barring - largely white with distinct barring, whereas Wood is densely barred, extending across the belly. In addition, very different wing covert pattern - super densely barred barred on Solitary with a lot of mid-browns, whereas Wood shows more prominent white tips, largely lacking that earthy/mid-brown colouration.

James

 

[Azan Khan]

Thank you all for your valuable and helpful comments. Really appreciate it.

Azan