Bird Guide

Pin-tailed Snipe

Gallinago stenura

Least ConcernInvertebratesWetlandScrapeMedium · 113 g

About the Pin-tailed Snipe

The pin-tailed snipe or pintail snipe is a species of bird in the family Scolopacidae, the sandpipers.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

This 25–27 cm long bird is similar to the longer-billed and longer-tailed common snipe. Adults have short greenish-grey legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown on top, with cream lines down their back. They are pale underneath with a streaked buff breast and white belly. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. Sexes are similar, and immatures differ only in minor plumage details. The wings are less pointed than common snipe, and lack the white trailing edge of that species.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Pin-tailed Snipe sounds like

Recording: Jochem Verweij · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where the Pin-tailed Snipe lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Australia, Kazakhstan, Maldives.

When to see the Pin-tailed Snipe

Peak activity in January · a winter visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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