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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