Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Swinhoe's Snipe

Gallinago megala

The Swinhoe's snipe, known scientifically as Gallinago megala, is a medium-sized wader with a notable long bill. It measures approximately 27 to 29 centimeters in length, with a wingspan stretching from 38 to 44 centimeters, and weighs around 120 grams. This migratory species is also referred to as the forest snipe or Chinese snipe.

Identification Tips

A member of the Gallinago genus, the Swinhoe's snipe is adorned with a cryptic pattern of black, brown, buff, and white across its plumage. While it shares this characteristic with other snipes, distinguishing it from Latham's and pin-tailed snipe in the field can be quite challenging. In South Korea, it is colloquially known as cho suekyung.

Habitat

During the breeding season, Swinhoe's snipe favors forest glades and meadows. Outside of breeding times, it can be found in a variety of shallow freshwater wetlands, including paddy fields and sewage farms. These habitats provide the bare mud or shallow water it requires for feeding, with nearby vegetation offering essential cover.

Distribution

The breeding grounds of Swinhoe's snipe are primarily located in central and southern Siberia and Mongolia. Post-breeding, the entire population migrates to spend the non-breeding season in regions such as eastern and southern India, Sri Lanka, south-eastern China, South-East Asia, and New Guinea. Migration sightings have been recorded in eastern China and occasionally Japan, with Australian sightings mainly in the Top End of the Northern Territory and north-western Western Australia.

Behaviour

Males of the species engage in display flights and produce a drumming sound as part of their breeding behavior.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of Swinhoe's snipe consists mainly of small invertebrates, including earthworms, mollusks, and insects, which they forage for in their wetland habitats.

Conservation status

Swinhoe's snipe is currently assessed as being of Least Concern due to its wide range and lack of evidence indicating significant population decline.

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

Swinhoe's Snipes on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Greg Green
Greg Green
12 Jun 2023 - 5:50am
Mongolia

More Sandpipers, Snipes

A photo of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos
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
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
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.
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
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.
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.