Common Sandpiper vs African Snipe

Actitis hypoleucos compared with Gallinago nigripennis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Common Sandpiper African Snipe
Scientific Name Actitis hypoleucos Gallinago nigripennis
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Scolopacidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 22.0 cm (8.7 in) 25.1 cm (9.9 in)
Weight 63.0 g (2.22 oz) 124.25 g (4.38 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3-5 2-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Common Sandpiper only

None

African Snipe only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Common Sandpiper

Least Concern

African Snipe

About These Birds

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper: 19–21 cm, small olive-brown sandpiper with bold white wingbar, horizontal bobbing walk, and stiff-winged shimmering flight low over water. Breeds along stony rivers and lake margins across Eurasia; winters in Africa, South Asia, and Australasia. Feeds on invertebrates. Long-distance migrant. Very widespread.

African Snipe

African Snipe: 25–28 cm, medium-large snipe resident in high-altitude wetlands, bogs, and marshy grassland of eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan to the Cape. Cryptic brown-and-buff streaking. Probes soft mud for invertebrates. Sedentary. Performs display 'drumming' flights with spread tail in breeding season.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family