Greater Painted Snipe, 5/24/2012

Except running into a flock of Black-Winged Stilts in Dayuan of Taoyuan County on May 24, 2012, we also ran into this Greater Painted Snipe by surprise. This Greater Painted Snipe mixed in the flock of more than thirty Black-Winged Stilts, easy to be overlooked. It was so far away that I couldn't recognize it by naked eye. Greater Painted Snipe is native to Taiwan. How come this one mixed in a flock of migrants? I don't know. This is a day full of surprises.

According to information I obtained from internet, there are at least three species of Painted Snipes in the world. The full name for the Taiwanese Painted Snipe is Greater Painted Snipe with the scientific name Rostratula benghalensis. They are regionally common in Taiwan. There is another Painted Snipe called Australian Painted Snipe with the scientific name Rostratula australis, which is native to Australia. Australian Painted Snipes are listed as Endangered species by IUCN. Yet there is another Painted Snipe called South American Painted-snipe with the scientific name Rostratula semicollaris, which is a local species in South America. South American Painted Snipes are listed as Least Concern by IUCN.

Greater Painted Snipes look different from other birds in the Charadriiformes order. They also behave very different. For example, multiple males will share one female. Male, not female, is the one that raises babies. And females look more eye-catching than males, which is unusual in animal world.



Greater Painted Snipe, male, photographed on 5/24/2012, at Dayuan, Taoyuan County




Black-Winged Stilts vs. Greater Painted Snipe(male), photographed on 5/24/2012, at Dayuan, Taoyuan County




Greater Painted Snipe, female, photographed on 4/17/2012, at Beitou District, Taipei City

Chinese name:	彩鷸
English name:	Greater Painted Snipe, Painted Snipe
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Rostratula benghalensis
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Rostratulidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	IUCN lists it as Least Concern, but Taiwan lists it as very rare.
Migration status:	Taiwan local bird
Frequency of appearance:	Common in some places of Taiwan
Foods:	mollusks, insects
Habitat:	Wetlands, swamps, farm fields
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Appear alone or in flock in wetlands, farm fields, etc. Multiple males share one female. Male will raise babies. They are shy. Once being found, they will hide themselves immdediately behind the crop bushes.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: Female is about 24 cm long and is slightly larger than male. Female plumage is more eye-catching than male's, which is unusual in animal world. Summer Plumage: For males: Head top is greenish brown, neck and breast are reddish brown. Back is grayish brown. Lowerpart is mainly white, with vertical black stripes. Winter Plumage: Similar to summer plumage. Similar species:
Breeding places:	This species breeds in Africa and Asia. There is also one species called Australian Painted Snipe, which is Australian native and is listed by IUCN as Endangered species, with its scientific name Rostratula australis. Yet another species called South American Painted-snipe is native to South America, which is listed by IUCN as Least Concern species, with its scientific name Rostratula semicollaris.
Migration destinations:
Time photographed:	4/17/2012, 5/24/2012
Location found:	Beitou District of Taipei City, Dayuan of Taoyuan County
Sources:	Internet
Notes: