African Snipe

Gallinago nigripennis Bonaparte, 1839

30–32 cmLength112 gWeight

The African snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Snipe has been recorded at 174 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa795 records
Wakkerstroom Wetland NR – bridge/causewaySouth Africa304 records
Wakkerstroom Wetland NRSouth Africa196 records

More places

Macaneta – Wetland, dune forests and coastMozambique176 records
Rietvlei NRSouth Africa168 records
Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa127 records
Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa84 records
Rondevlei NRSouth Africa82 records
Nylsvley Nature ReserveSouth Africa76 records
Chobe River – boat tripBotswana66 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Botswana Mozambique Ethiopia Uganda Zambia Kenya Namibia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The African snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader. It breeds in eastern and southern Africa in wet mountain moorland and swamps at altitudes of 1,700–4,000 m (5,600–13,100 ft). When not breeding it disperses widely, including into coastal lowlands.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Snipe?

The African Snipe is about 30–32 cm long and weighs around 112 g.

Where does the African Snipe live?

Its breeding range: Africa: subtropical to tropical wetlands of northeastern, south-central, southern Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.