Wednesday 3 April 2013

Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Lymnocryptes ("marsh hidden") minimus ("smallest")
Adult Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimusat Rutland Water - April 2013

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 33-73g  /  Length: 18-25cm  /  Wingspan: 30-41cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Jack Snipe are the smaller and more secretive relation of the Common Snipe.  They aren't actually that rare, and the main issue is that they are one of the stealthiest birds found in this country.  They are very well camoflaged and even more so than snipe will only generally be flushed at very close rangeat which point they tend to quickly drop back into the undergrowth.  Visually, they are pretty similar to Snipe but smaller, shorter and with a substantially shorter beak.  They are also prone to a characteristic bobbing when moving where they will be constantly bobbing as they move and feed.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Lymnocryptes
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A Winter migrant in variable numnbers, (anywhere between 110,000 birds)
 - Single birds seen at Rutland Water in April 2013, .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPBWikipedia, Xeno-canto

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