Solitary Snipe

Gallinago solitaria Hodgson, 1831

≈32 cmLength54 cmWingspan140 gWeight

This stocky, low-slung snipe probes into mud with its long, straight bill.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: China, South Korea, Japan

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Bill long, straight and rufous-black
Face whitish
Breast ginger-rufous; belly white
Flanks with rufous barring

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in plumage; female averages larger.

Voice

Gives a harsh “kensh” on take-off and a far-carrying “chok-a-chok-a” during display.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: China, South Korea, Japan

Solitary Snipe has been recorded at 82 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Pocheon – Korea National Arboretum/Gwangneung ForestSouth Korea194 records
Nakashibetsu – Yoroushi Hot SpringJapan103 records
Juli VillageChina59 records

More places

JieguChina34 records
Thimpu Sewage LagoonsBhutan33 records
JilakouChina22 records
[Dushanbe – Karamov Bridge over Varzob River]Tajikistan19 records
ZhujiawanChina15 records
St. Paul IslandUnited States14 records
PelelaBhutan13 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China South Korea Japan Bhutan Tajikistan Mongolia United States Nepal

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 solitary snipe (Gallinago solitaria) is a stocky wader. It is found in the Palearctic from northeast Iran to Korea and Japan.

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

Questions

How big is the Solitary Snipe?

The Solitary Snipe is about ≈32 cm long, with a wingspan of 54 cm and weighs around 140 g.

Where does the Solitary Snipe live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: montane wetlands of central, eastern Palearctic: Altai and Tien Shan mountains from south-central Russia, northeastern Kazakhstan, northwestern Xinjiang and northern Mongolia east to Kamchatka and northeastern China. It is most often recorded in China, South Korea and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Solitary Snipe?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Solitary Snipe endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Solitary Snipe as Least Concern.

What does the Solitary Snipe eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Solitary Snipe in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈32 cm
Wingspan: 54 cm
Weight: 140 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 160 mm
Tail: 64 mm
Bill: 76 mm
Tarsus: 33 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: montane wetlands of central, eastern Palearctic: Altai and Tien Shan mountains from south-central Russia, northeastern Kazakhstan, northwestern Xinjiang and northern Mongolia east to Kamchatka and northeastern China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Gallinago solitaria solitaria Altai and Tien Shan mts. from sc Russia, ne Kazakhstan, nw Xinjiang and n Mongolia | non-breeding: montane e Kazakhstan to e Afghanistan, Himalayas, n se Asia and wc China
Gallinago solitaria japonica ne China to Kamchatka | non-breeding: se China, Korean Pen., n, c Japan and Sakhalin and Amurland (se Russia)