Western Sandpiper vs African Snipe

Calidris mauri compared with Gallinago nigripennis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Western Sandpiper African Snipe
Scientific Name Calidris mauri Gallinago nigripennis
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Scolopacidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 18.4 cm (7.2 in) 25.1 cm (9.9 in)
Weight 28.233333333333334 g (1.00 oz) 124.25 g (4.38 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3-5 2-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Western Sandpiper only

None

African Snipe only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Western Sandpiper

Least Concern

African Snipe

About These Birds

Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper: 14–17 cm, common small North American sandpiper with rufous scapulars in breeding plumage, slightly drooped bill-tip, and partial toe webbing. Breeds on Alaska tundra; winters abundantly on estuaries and mudflats of both American coasts south to Peru. Hundreds of thousands congregate at key staging sites. Feeds on invertebrates.

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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