Gallinago solitaria

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Charadrii

Familia: Scolopacidae
Genus: Gallinago
Species: Gallinago solitaria
Subspecies: G. s. japonica – G. s. solitaria
Name

Gallinago solitaria Hodgson, 1831
References

Gleanings in Science 3: 238

Vernacular names
العربية: شنقب منعزل
български: Тибетска бекасина
brezhoneg: Gioc'h digenvez
català: Becadell solitari
čeština: Bekasina horská
Cymraeg: Gïach unig
English: Solitary Snipe
español: Agachadiza solitaria
فارسی: پاشلک تک‌زی
suomi: Vuorikurppa
français: Bécassine solitaire
magyar: Tibeti sárszalonka
italiano: Beccacino solitario
日本語: アオシギ
қазақша: Тау маңқысы
한국어: 청도요
монгол: Өнчин хараалж
नेपाली: भार्का चाहा
Nederlands: Bergsnip
پنجابی: کلا سنائپ
русский: Горный дупель
svenska: Bergbeckasin
Türkçe: Yalnız bataklık çulluğu

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

This is a large and heavy snipe 29–31 cm long with a stocky body and relatively short legs for a wader. Its upperparts, head and neck are streaked and patterned with medium brown stripes and whitish edges to the feathers forming lines down its back. The face is whitish. The breast is ginger-brown and the belly is white with brown barring on the flanks. The brown and black bill is long, straight and fairly slender. The legs and feet are yellowish-olive to yellowish-brown. All plumages are similar, but females average larger.
An artist's illustration.

There are two quite similar subspecies. Nominate G. s. solitaria is very widespread. The breeding range of G. s. japonica, which is richer red and less white above, is unknown, but it winters in Japan.

The solitary snipe makes a hoarse kensh call as it takes off, and has a far carrying chok-a-chok-a call when displaying.

The solitary snipe has a relatively slow, heavy flight.
Distribution and habitat

The solitary snipe breeds discontinuously in the mountains of eastern Asia, in eastern Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Many birds are sedentary in the high mountains, or just move downhill in hard weather, but others are migratory, wintering in northeast Iran, Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh, eastern China, Korea, Japan and Sakhalin.[2]
Behaviour

This snipe breeds in mountain bogs and river valleys above the timberline, typically from 2,400 m to 5000 m. It is often found in similar marshes and swamps at lower altitudes when not breeding or on migration.

The solitary snipe builds a saucer-shaped nest of dry grass in the drier areas of its breeding wetland. The nest is concealed in a dense tuft of grass or sedges.

This bird has an aerial display, which involves flying high in circles, followed by a powerful stoop during which the bird makes a "drumming" sound, caused by vibrations of modified outer tail feathers.

The solitary snipe forages by pushing its long bill deep into the mud seeking invertebrates, such as insects and worms, seeds and plants. It is quite approachable, but if alarmed, it crouches, and its cryptic plumage provides effective camouflage when the bird stands motionless amongst marsh vegetation. When flushed, it drops back into the marsh after a short slow flight.

References

BirdLife International (2016). "Gallinago solitaria". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22693075A93382331. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693075A93382331.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

"Gallinago solitaria (Solitary Snipe) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-07-10.

Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds ISBN 0-395-37903-2