Sharp-tailed Sandpiper vs African Snipe

Calidris acuminata compared with Gallinago nigripennis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Sharp-tailed Sandpiper African Snipe
Scientific Name Calidris acuminata Gallinago nigripennis
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Scolopacidae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 25.8 cm (10.2 in) 25.1 cm (9.9 in)
Weight 77.75 g (2.74 oz) 124.25 g (4.38 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3-4 2-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper only

None

African Snipe only

None

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Least Concern

African Snipe

About These Birds

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper: 17–22 cm, distinctive with a chestnut cap, bold black 'V' markings on flanks, and greenish-yellow legs. Breeds on Siberian tundra; migrates through East Asia to winter in Australia and New Zealand. Often found with Pectoral Sandpiper on migration. Feeds on invertebrates in marsh vegetation. Long-distance migrant.

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.

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