Madagascar Snipe
Gallinago macrodactyla
Chunky, cryptic, short-legged, long-billed shorebird. Found in thickly vegetated wetlands, including rice fields, in eastern and central Madagascar. Most often seen when it flushes explosively, often giving a rough “trik” call. Display vocalization is a long accelerating series of “kik” notes. Larger than Greater Painted-Snipe, with a much longer bill and duller belly. Distinctive snipe shape separates it from all other shorebirds in its range.
Identification
This is a large and heavy snipe 29–32 cm long with a stocky body and relatively short legs for a wader. Its upperparts, head and neck are streaked and patterned with bold dark brown stripes and gold edges to the feathers forming lines down its back. The belly is white, with some brown barring on the flanks but never on the belly. The blackish bill is very long, straight and fairly robust. The legs and feet are yellowish-olive to greenish-grey. The sexes are similar, and immature differ only in showing buff fringes on the wing coverts.<p>The Madagascar snipe makes a hoarse hlip call as it takes off. In flight, it has a narrow grey trailing edge on the wing and a very dark underwing.<p>The Madagascar snipe has never been recorded elsewhere, and no other snipe species have yet been recorded on Madagascar. Common snipe is smaller, has a paler underwing, and a white trailing edges on the wing. Pin-tailed snipe is similar in plumage to the Madagascar species, but is smaller, shorter-billed and shorter-tailed. African snipe is similar in build to the Madagascar Snipe, but has an obvious white trailing edge on the wing. All the snipes that are potential vagrants to Madagascar have a faster, lighter flight than the resident species.
Taxonomy
Genus: Gallinago; Family: Scolopacidae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Gallinago macrodactyla
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1839
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Gallinago
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-tailed Potoo
Nyctibius aethereus
Large potoo with a long graduated tail. Mostly rusty brown with streaked underparts, a conspicuous pale shoulder patch, and a whitish moustache. Occurs from the lower to the upper levels of humid forests. The song is an undulating “waa-OO-uh,” usually sung on moonlit nights.
Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker
Dicaeum trochileum
Male’s bright red head, breast, and back makes him unmistakable. Female is brownish above and pale below, with a red rump; can be similar to female Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, but note Scarlet-headed’s grayer tones overall, especially on the flanks (female Scarlet-backed has pale buff or faded yellowish flanks). A common sight in lowland and lower foothills, where it inhabits gardens, cultivated areas, forest edge, and open or degraded forests. Song is a quiet series of very high tinkling notes; most common call is a short buzzy “bzzt”.
Gray-breasted Babbler
Malacopteron albogulare
Smartly-attired babbler of wet lowland and foothills forests. Gray-brown with a sharply contrasting gray-and-white head pattern and off-white belly. Not as social as many other babblers; at most seen in small flocks, and more often seen singly or in pairs. Forages near the forest floor, hopping sideways between branches. Song is a rather hesitant-sounding series of whistles and chirps.
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