Madagascar Snipe
Gallinago macrodactyla
The Madagascar Snipe (Gallinago macrodactyla) is a legendary sandpiper found only in Madagascar, weighing about 216 g. The Madagascar snipe is a small stocky wader.
About the Madagascar Snipe
The Madagascar snipe is a small stocky wader. It breeds only in the humid eastern half of Madagascar, from sea-level up to 2,700 m, being more common above 700 m. It is non-migratory.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a large and heavy snipe, between 29–32 cm long with a stocky body and relatively short legs. 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.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Madagascar Snipe?
- This is a large and heavy snipe, between 29–32 cm long with a stocky body and relatively short legs. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Madagascar Snipe?
- The Madagascar Snipe is a medium sized bird weighing about 216 g.
- Where can you see a Madagascar Snipe?
- The Madagascar Snipe is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Madagascar Snipe?
- The Madagascar Snipe is most easily confused with the Imperial Snipe, the Wood Snipe and the Fuegian Snipe.
- Is the Madagascar Snipe endangered?
- The Madagascar Snipe is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Madagascar Snipe for real
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