Greater Painted-Snipe
Rostratula benghalensis
Pond fringes. Rufous from above the eyes to nape and breast; olive-green back; white on central crown, eye-stripe and shoulders; legs yellow.
Painted-Snipes
NT
Not Endemic
Description
Uncommon nomadic resident. Told by white patches surrounding eyes and distinctive curving white band extending from breast and reaching over wings onto the back. Immature resembles male. Female utters a soft, hollow-sounding ‘wu-koo’ and ‘boo-hu-hu’. Pairs and groups are found on muddy shorelines of dams, pans and swamp pools, usually where reeds or other waterside vegetation offer immediate refuge. When walking, bobs its hindquarters up and down. Much more shy and retiring than true snipes.
Quick Facts
Size
28-32 cm - M
Names
A: Goudsnip
Z: umakhwaneni
Ss: Kwekwe Ya Kgauta
G: Goldschnepfe
Bird Family
Not related to true snipes, painted-snipes are more colourful. They use the unusual breeding strategy of polyandry, in which males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Pairs and groups are found on muddy shorelines of dams, pans and swamp pools, usually where reeds or other waterside vegetation offer immediate refuge.
