![]() Breeding of Pin-Tailed Snipe Pin-Tailed Snipe breeds in northern Russia and migrates to spend the non-breeding season in southern Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia. It is the most common migrant snipe in southern India, Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. It is a vagrant to north-western and northern Australia, and to East Africa Kenya. Breeding Habitat of Pin-Tailed Snipe The breeding habitat of Pin-Tailed Snipe is damp marshes and tundra in Arctic and boreal Russia. Birds in their non-breeding range use a variety of wetlands, often with common snipe, but may be also found in drier habitats than their relative. They nest in a well-hidden location on the ground. Forage of Pin-Tailed Snipe Pin-Tailed Snipe forage in mud or soft soil, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and earthworms, but also some plant material. Structure of Pin-Tailed Snipe Pin-Tailed Snipe is the 25-27 cm long bird that is similar to the longer-billed and longer-tailed common snipe. The adults have short greenish-grey legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown on top, with cream lines down their back. They are pale underneath with a streaked buff breast and white belly. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. Sexes are similar, and immature ones differ only in minor plumage details. Wings of Pin-Tailed Snipe The wings of Pin-Tailed Snipe are less pointed than common snipe, and lack the white trailing edge of that species. The shorter tail and flatter flight path when flushed also made flight separation from Common relatively easy. Behaviour of Pin-Tailed Snipe The male Pin-Tailed Snipes often display in a group, with a loud repetitive song which has a crescendo of fizzing and buzzing sounds, and also whistling noises produced in flight by the pin-like outer tail feathers which give this species its English name. The normal call is a weak 'squik'. (Last Updated on : 01-10-2015) |
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