
South American Painted-snipe
Nycticryphes semicollaris (Vieillot, 1816)
19–23 cmLength77 gWeight
The South American painted-snipe (Nycticryphes semicollaris), or lesser painted-snipe, is a shorebird in the family Rostratulidae.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay
Where and when it's recorded
South American Painted-snipe has been recorded at 77 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Lampa – Puente Negro Sur †Chile122 records
- Mar Chiquita – Lomas de los IndiosArgentina75 records
- Playa - Ex Calera San AntonioParaguay69 records
More places
- Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina49 records
- Piletones de El ParamilloArgentina34 records
- Laguna De Los PatosArgentina33 records
- Ceibas – camino Cuatro HermanasArgentina33 records
- PN Lagoa do Peixe – Trilha do Talha-MarBrazil33 records
- Humedales de La CapillaChile31 records
- Ea. El PalenqueArgentina30 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 South American painted-snipe (Nycticryphes semicollaris), or lesser painted-snipe, is a shorebird in the family Rostratulidae. There are two other species in its family, the Australian painted-snipe and the greater painted-snipe.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the South American Painted-snipe?
The South American Painted-snipe is about 19–23 cm long and weighs around 77 g.
Where does the South American Painted-snipe live?
Its breeding range: South America: patchily in Paraguay and southeastern Brazil to south-central Argentina and central Chile. It is most often recorded in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
When is the best time to see the South American Painted-snipe?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the South American Painted-snipe endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the South American Painted-snipe as Near Threatened.
What does the South American Painted-snipe eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the South American Painted-snipe in?
It belongs to the family Painted-snipes (Rostratulidae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 19–23 cm
- Weight
- 77 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 103 mm
- Tail
- 46 mm
- Bill
- 43 mm
- Tarsus
- 34 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: patchily in Paraguay and southeastern Brazil to south-central Argentina and central Chile
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Painted-snipes Rostratulidae
- Genus
- Nycticryphes
More from the family Painted-snipes

Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Adrian Braidotti. ↗
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In other languages
- EnglishSouth American Painted-snipe
- 简体中文半领彩鹬
- 繁體中文美洲彩鷸
- 日本語ナンベイタマシギ
- DeutschWeißflecken-Goldschnepfe
- FrançaisRhynchée de Saint-Hilaire
- EspañolAguatero americano
- Portuguêsnarceja-de-bico-torto
- ItalianoBeccaccino dorato americano
- NederlandsPampasnip
- РусскийМалый цветной бекас
- Svenskasydamerikansk rallbeckasin
- DanskSydamerikansk Riksesneppe
- Polskizłotosłonka amerykańska
Greater Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis
Australian Painted-snipeRostratula australis