Could this be Swinhoe's Snipe? (1 Viewer)

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Suppalak Klabde

Member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #1

Dear all,

I shot this Snipe at Bang Pra non-hunting area, Central Thailand yesterday. I thought that it was Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) because of the obvious long tail, but the face look more like Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura). The other Snipe which could be found in Thailand that look similar is Swinhoe's Snipe (Gallinago megala) which is a very rare winter visitor (all 3 are winter visitors).

Any comments is very appreciated. Thank you very much!

Suppalak

 

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Charles Harper

Régisseur

• Dec 8, 2003

• #2

Unfortunately, facial pattern is a very uncertain criterion to go by, Suppalak: there's considerable individual variation. Greater extension of the tail beyond the primaries is indeed a mark of both Common and Swinhoe's, but in the latter, the primaries extend even farther beyond the tertials than they do in Common (which I think this is), and Swinhoe's lower scapulars have a white border on both edges, where this bird, like Common, has white only along the leading (lower) edge of each feather.

I'd opt conservatively for Common Snipe.

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #3

I look forward to seeing where this one goes! I'd lean towards Swinhoe's on face pattern, with no great cetrainty. It looks a bit too long-billed for Pintail.

I'm afraid I'm going to need a period buried in books One thing that does worry me is how short-winged it looks so perhaps I'd sbe safest to say its not Pintail and leave it there.

 

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Suppalak Klabde

Member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #4

This is going to be a great classroom for Thailand's Snipe ID!

I cropped bits of this pic for some closer look on tail, wing, scapular and face. My initial thought was also toward Common Snipe.

Thank you very much!

 

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Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #5

That is a fabulous picture! From what I can tell Swinhoes is supposed to look structurally different to Common too in the head shape, eye position etc. I can't say this does. Come on someone who has seen shedloads...

The tertials are worn and still there are no primaries showing.

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #6

For educational purposes (Mine) here are some Swinhoe's

http://www.kimberleybirdwatching.com.au/images/swinhoes snipe.jpg

probable
http://megalam.co.kr/www_megalam/cgi-bin/club/board/upload/DSCN4057.JPG
this one does look different structurally about the face!

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gallinago/gallinago/megala970816.jpg this one too

fill your boots at this site.

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gallinago/gallinago-gallery.html

 

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Bubbs

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #7

Snipe i.d.

Suppalak Klabde said:

Dear all,

I shot this Snipe at Bang Pra non-hunting area, Central Thailand yesterday. I thought that it was Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago).........

Suppalak, Go to www.birdingisrael.com Click on FALL 2003. In News Alert click on 'A Pintail or Swinhoes Snipe in the Bet Shean'; There you can compare....although you will probably be no wiser!

Safe field i.d. of these two is a minefield and you really do need them in the hand to be certain.

John Barclay.

Click to expand...

 

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Suppalak Klabde

Member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #8

Thank you all!

With such tail, I guess it is quite safe to say that this is not Pintail Snipe. I also agree that the head shape does not look right to be a Swinhoe's. Then there is the tertials and primaries... good learning for me.

The good thing is, at least, now I will remember how to ID Pintail from Common Snipe (which I was not at all interested to know before taking this picture!!!).

 

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Sumit

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #9

Hi Suppalak,
Don't know if this helps, but the attached was positively identified as a Swinhoe's.
Cheers!
sumit

 

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Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #10

Can we add Snipe to the hard to identify species pairs please!

 

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Edward woodwood

Member

• Dec 8, 2003

• #11

seen a fair few Pintail (I don't think they were Swinhoe's but this was only on historical distribution data) and this birds either this or Swinhoe's - can't help much more though. The original bird seems to be a Common Snipe though.

they are rather tricky!

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 9, 2003

• #12

For my own education...I've been looking at something you could use to notice one of these things in the first place.

A few guides mention the eye position on Swinhoe's and the pics do look funny. I do a lot of bird drawings and getting the eye in the right place is just about the most important thing and its something the human eye is very sensitive to. There does seem to be a consistent difference between Common and Swinhoes...with Pintail sort of intermediate.

If you imagine a line from the end of the gape line, through the eye and stopping at the end of the lores... on common the eye is just ahead of the midpoint of that line, for Pintail its just behind and Swinhoes it seems to be well behind..at the 2.3rd 1/3rd position. I know its hard to measure such things exactly and that my lines are a little off, but I couldn't be bothered to switch of the auto position thing on the drawing programme.

So it would seem that IF there were only these three species to deal with... you would have a fighting chance of noticing a Pintail on wing length and a Swinhoes on eye position. Then of course the diffculty starts in actually clinching it!

 

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Suppalak Klabde

Member

• Dec 9, 2003

• #13

Thank you everyone, especially you, Jane

Still can not convince myself that this is Swinhoe's Snipe and will call it a Common Snipe for the time being... or even safer, just call it a Snipe.

The eye position seems to look different as the bird turned its head just a little. See the attached pic.

 

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Charles Harper

Régisseur

• Dec 9, 2003

• #14

Yes, thanks for the eye placement item, Jane. It should help sorting Common from Swinhoe's when combined with other considerations. Which guides mention that?

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 9, 2003

• #15

Field Guide the birds of SE Asia, Craig Robinson

"Differs from Pintail and Common by slightly larger size and squarer head with crown peak more obviously behind eye (eye also set further back) and heavier more barell chested appearance. Legs and feet thicker than common and often rather yellow."

I thought I saw in in Shorebirds too, but haven't located it a second time.

I shall look hard at the next Snipe I see! At least I know it will be a Common! I guess that you 'll need to watch as they turn their heads, but the human eye should be good at picking up in the middle or not in the middle of a line!

The crown position looks like a better feature to tell from Pintail than Common.... in these pics.