African Snipe
Gallinago nigripennis
Chunky, cryptic, short-legged, long-billed shorebird. In flight, shows much white on the outer tail and underwing. Found in thickly vegetated wetlands. Restricted to middle and high elevations across the majority of its range. Most often seen when it flushes explosively, often giving a rough “shrik” call. Display vocalization is a long accelerating series of “kik” notes, followed by a hollow booming made by the outer tail in flight display. Similar to Common Snipe, but darker and with much white in the outer tail. Also easily confused with the uncommon Great Snipe, but African is paler, lacks strong bars on the wing, and has a white rather than dark underwing.
Identification
This 30–32 cm (12–13 in) long snipe has 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 pinkish-brown bill is very long, straight and fairly robust. The legs and feet are yellowish-olive to greenish-grey. The sexes are similar, and immatures differ only in showing pale fringes on the wing coverts.<p>The African snipe makes a hleep call as it takes off, and has a far carrying kip call when breeding. It shows white trailing edges on the wings and white tail corners in flight.<p>The African snipe can only be confused with the three migrant snipes that occur in its range, common, pin-tailed and great snipe. Great snipe is obviously larger, darker, and relatively shorter billed. Pintail snipe lacks the white trailing edges on the wings and its tail corners have very little white.<p>The common snipe is very similar to African although African is darker above and longer-billed; identification on the ground is very difficult. In flight, African has a slower, more fluttering flight on its more rounded wings, and zig-zags less when flushed. The more extensive white in the tail is often obvious.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Gallinago nigripennis
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1839
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Gallinago
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
The African snipe builds a saucer-shaped nest of dry grass in the drier areas of its breeding marshes. The nest is concealed in a dense tuft of grass or rushes. Breeding is dependent on the rains in the tropics, but mainly April to October in South Africa, although nesting has occurred in all months.<p>This bird has a spectacular aerial display, which involves flying high in circles, followed by a powerful stoop during which the bird makes a drumming sound, caused by vibrations of modified outer tail feathers.<p>The African snipe is quite common in suitable marshy areas of wetlands and dams. It forages by pushing its long bill deep into the mud seeking insects and worms. If alarmed, it freezes, and its cryptic plumage provides effective camouflage when the bird stands motionless amongst marsh vegetation. When flushed, it flies off fast with a zigzagging action.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Socotra Starling
Onychognathus frater
Large, glossy black starling with a strong bill. The tail is moderately long, and squared off. There are large red panels in the wing, which are conspicuous in flight. Unlike most “red-winged” starlings, sexes are alike. Often found around cliffs and other rocky areas, where it roosts and nests. Feeds in dry woodland. Gives scratchy calls and more musical whistles. Similar to male Somali Starling, but has a much shorter and less pointed tail. Easily distinguished from the gray-hooded female Somali Starling.
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Fairly small gull, common and widespread across Eurasia. All plumages have big white blaze on leading edge of wing. Breeding adult has dark brown (not black) hood, red bill and legs; nonbreeding and immature have dark ear spot on white head, dark tip to red bill. Juvenile has mottled brownish back, which molts to pale gray by winter. Can be found in essentially any wet habitat, from duck ponds and farm fields to wild wetlands and seacoasts. Locally occurs in flocks of hundreds, sometimes thousands. Rare but regular vagrant to North America, especially in the northeast, where usually seen singly among flocks of Bonaparte’s or Ring-billed Gulls. Compared to nonbreeding Bonaparte’s, note Black-headed’s red bill, dark red legs, and more extensive black in underwings.
Rufous-vented Chachalaca
Ortalis ruficauda
A large, long-tailed, chickenlike, and ground-dwelling bird of scrub and woodlands. Brown overall with a buff-orange vent. Commonly runs from perceived threats but sometimes bursts into rapid short flight. Unique in Caribbean, but in northern South America Chestnut-winged Chachalaca is light underneath and lacks rufous in tail. Produces a variety of vocalizations, including a loud “wuck-a-wuck-wuck” that is given in a crescendo series, a quiet muttered “wuck-wuck-wuck…,” a loud and squeaky shrill call often heard as “yuck” that is produced singly or in a series, and a loud squeaky “zwick,” given singly or in rapid bursts.
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