Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis), male
Greater Painted-snipe, Male

Greater Painted-snipe

Rostratula benghalensis

The greater painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis, is a medium-sized wader with a striking sexual dimorphism. The females are the more vibrant of the sexes, sporting dark bronze green upperparts and a chestnut patch extending from the lower head to the chest, complemented by a conspicuous white eyepatch. Males, on the other hand, are mottled in shades of grey and brown with buff-coloured upper parts, providing them with excellent camouflage, especially when nesting.

Identification Tips

To identify the greater painted-snipe, look for the larger and more colourful female with her distinctive white eyepatch and chestnut breast. The male is more subdued in colour, with a mottled appearance that blends into the wetland environment. Both sexes have a unique body shape typical of snipes, with a long bill and a stout body.

Habitat

These birds are inhabitants of wetland areas, showing a preference for muddy locales with ample vegetation for cover. They can also be found along the edges of lakes and rivers, as well as in marshes and swamps, always with a preference for areas where they can quickly retreat to safety.

Distribution

The greater painted-snipe boasts a broad distribution, spanning across Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles, India, and Southeast Asia. They are present in the Nile River Valley and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, barring the rainforest zones. Notably, they are absent from eastern Somalia, the deserts of Namibia, and certain regions of Botswana and South Africa.

Behaviour

These birds are generally solitary or found in pairs, though they may congregate in larger groups. They are shy and retiring by nature, often skulking near vegetation. When disturbed, they exhibit a characteristic rail-like flight with dangling legs. During the breeding season, females may emit a mellow hooting or booming sound to attract males.

Song & Calls

Outside of the breeding season, the greater painted-snipe is mostly silent. However, during courtship, the female may produce a soft hooting or booming to communicate with potential mates.

Breeding

The greater painted-snipe is known for its polyandrous mating system, with females typically mating with two males per season, though they may pair with up to four. The males take on the responsibility of incubating the eggs and caring for the young. Chicks are buff-coloured with black stripes, while immature birds resemble males but lack the dark breast band. In regions with low population density, such as South Africa, the birds may exhibit monogamous behavior.

Similar Species

There are no similar species within their range that would be easily confused with the greater painted-snipe due to their distinctive sexual dimorphism and unique plumage patterns.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the greater painted-snipe includes insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and seeds, which they forage for in their wetland habitats.

Conservation status

The IUCN classifies the greater painted-snipe as "Least Concern" due to its extensive range and the relatively slow rate of decline in population numbers. Estimates suggest there are between 31,000 and 1,000,000 mature individuals currently living in the wild.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Greater Painted-snipes on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Painted-snipes

A photo of a South American Painted-snipe (Nycticryphes semicollaris)

South American Painted-snipe

Nycticryphes semicollaris
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.