Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Plump, well-camouflaged shorebird that blends into wet meadows and marshes. Dark and heavily marked, with pale buffy stripes on back and face. Extremely long bill used to probe into mud for invertebrates. Similar in shape to American Woodcock but much darker with extensive markings on underparts. Fairly common and widespread throughout North America, wintering to northern South America. Found in muddy wetlands, flooded fields, and marshes, usually singly but sometimes gathering in loose groups. When flushed, listen for rough call note. On breeding grounds, watch and listen for aerial flight display, given day and night: a rapid series of hoot-like noises produced by the outer tail feathers in flight.
Identification
Adults are 23–28 cm (9.1–11.0 in) in length with a 39–45 cm (15–18 in) wingspan. Weight ranges from 2.8–5.2 oz (79–147 g). They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are pointed.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Gallinago delicata
- Authority
- (Ord, 1825)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Gallinago
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- NA : Alaska to e Canada and northern tier of continental USA
- Non-breeding range
- NA (south of breeding range) to n SA
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-fronted Coot
Fulica rufifrons
Fairly common coot of lowlands. Found on fresh to brackish ponds and lakes; also marshy wetlands with little open water. Often near cover, rarely far out on open water. Walks on shore more than other coots. As well as the diagnostic dark red forehead shield and bright yellow bill, note the big white wedges under the tail, which with behavior, often suggest a gallinule as much as a coot. Juvenile is dark overall with whitish throat and dull bill and shield. Often occurs in same areas as Red-gartered Coot.
Sulphur-billed Nuthatch
Sitta oenochlamys
A small bird of lowland and montane forest and edge. Unmistakable; the only nuthatch in its range. Blue above with a black edge to the wing, a black forehead, a thin black stripe behind the eye, pale pink underparts, and a yellow bill, eye, and eye-ring. Often joins mixed-species flocks. The only woodpecker similar in size is Philippine Woodpecker, but Sulphur-billed Nuthatch is blue rather than brown. Voice includes high-pitched, descending shrieking calls and sharp staccato chips.
Western Striolated-Puffbird
Nystalus obamai
Chunky, bull-headed puffbird of lowland and foothill rainforest east of the Andes to far western Brazil. Underparts are pale with dark, vertical streaks. Also note stout, yellowish bill, and brown cap and back. Very similar to Eastern Striolated-Puffbird (limited overlap in Brazil and possibly Bolivia), but has thicker streaks on underparts. Singles or pairs perch motionless for long periods high in the canopy; usually heard before seen. Typical song is a whistled “wip wip-whirrr?, whurrrr”, with the other member of the pair responding at slightly different pitch.
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