Madagascar Snipe (Gallinago macrodactyla)
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Madagascar Snipe

Gallinago macrodactyla Bonaparte, 1839

29–32 cmLength216 gWeight

The Madagascar snipe (Gallinago macrodactyla) is a small stocky wader.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar

Madagascar Snipe has been recorded at 10 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ranomafana NPMadagascar60 records
  2. Ranomafana NP – VohipararaMadagascar28 records
  3. Belalanda WetlandsMadagascar9 records
More places
  1. Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar8 records
  2. PerinetMadagascar4 records
  3. Andasibe Mantadia National ParkMadagascar4 records
  4. Ranomafana NP—Sahamalaotra TrackMadagascar2 records
  5. Le Relais de la Reine/Le Jardin du RoyMadagascar1 record
  6. Ranomafana NP – VariboloMadagascar1 record
  7. Parc de TsarasaotraMadagascar1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Madagascar

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 Madagascar snipe (Gallinago macrodactyla) is a small stocky wader. It breeds only in the humid eastern half of Madagascar, from sea-level up to 2,700 m, being more common above 700 m. It is non-migratory.

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

Questions

How big is the Madagascar Snipe?

The Madagascar Snipe is about 29–32 cm long and weighs around 216 g.

Where does the Madagascar Snipe live?

Its breeding range: Africa: wetlands of eastern Madagascar. It is most often recorded in Madagascar.

When is the best time to see the Madagascar Snipe?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Madagascar Snipe endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Madagascar Snipe as Vulnerable.

What does the Madagascar Snipe eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Madagascar Snipe in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length
29–32 cm
Weight
216 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
134 mm
Tail
58 mm
Bill
102 mm
Tarsus
38 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: wetlands of eastern Madagascar

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Sandpipers, Snipes Scolopacidae
Genus
Gallinago

Other birds in the genus Gallinago

Imperial SnipeImperial SnipeGallinago imperialisJameson's SnipeJameson's SnipeGallinago jamesoniFuegian SnipeFuegian SnipeGallinago stricklandiiSolitary SnipeSolitary SnipeGallinago solitariaWood SnipeWood SnipeGallinago nemoricolaGreat SnipeGreat SnipeGallinago mediaSwinhoe's SnipeSwinhoe's SnipeGallinago megalaPin-tailed SnipePin-tailed SnipeGallinago stenuraLatham's SnipeLatham's SnipeGallinago hardwickiiAfrican SnipeAfrican SnipeGallinago nigripennisCommon SnipeCommon SnipeGallinago gallinagoWilson's SnipeWilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
Madagascar Snipe

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Charles Davies. ↗

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