The Pin-tailed Snipe is a small member of the Gallinago family. It has a length of 25–27 cm, a wingspan of 44–47 cm and an average weight of 115 g. The species has a long straight bill, rather short broad somewhat blunt wings, a very short tail and short legs. In flight the species is noted for its small size, small head, squat body, somewhat rounded outerwing, short bill and the projection of the feet beyond the tip of the tail. The sexes are alike and there is no seasonal variation in plumages. The Pin-tailed Snipe is similiar to Latham’s Snipe, Gallinago hardwickii, and Swinhoe’s Snipe, Gallinago megala. The Pin-tailed Snipe is distinguished from the other two due to its smaller size (Higgins & Davies 1996).
Pin-tailed Snipe |
Gallinago stenura
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Species Profile and Threats Database, Gallinago stenura
Threats Top Global threats There are a number of threats that affect migratory shorebirds in the East Asian Australasian Flyway.
Global warming and associated changes in sea level are likely to have a long term impact on the breeding; staging and non breeding grounds of migratory waders (Harding et al. 2007).