Bird Guide

Common Snipe vs Latham's Snipe

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

Medium113 gWetland

Adults are 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) in length with a 44–47 cm (17–19 in) wingspan and a weight of 80–140 g (2.8–4.9 oz) (up to 180 g (6.3 oz) pre-migration). They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long (5.5–7 cm (2.2–2.8 in)) straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are pointed. The common snipe is the most widespread of several similar snipes. It most closely resembles the Wilson's snipe (G.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Snipe
Recorded by Kevin Guille · Song · Birky, Lyubeshivs'kyi district, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine · CC0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)

Latham's Snipe

Gallinago hardwickii

Medium151 gUrban

The snipe is 29–33 cm long, with a wingspan of 50–54 cm and weight of 150–230 g. It is identifiable as a Gallinago snipe by its cryptically-patterned black, brown, buff and white plumage. However, in the field it is not easily distinguished from Swinhoe's snipe and the pin-tailed snipe, though it is slightly larger.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Snipe and Latham's Snipe.