Greater painted-snipe is an Indian Bird that bears a scientific name "Rostratula benghalensis" concentrated in the wetlands of West Bengal.
Greater painted-snipe is a species of wader in the family Rostratulidae. Greater painted-snipe is found in marshes in Africa, India, Pakistan, and South-east Asian countries.
Structure of Greater painted-snipe
Greater painted-snipe is a medium-sized, plump wading bird. Greater painted-snipe is long reddish-brown bill, slightly decurved at tip, and distinct white or pinkish eye patch. It has a rounded, buff-spotted wings and short tail.
Wings of Greater painted-snipe
The white breast of Greater painted-snipe extends up around top of folded wing. The painted-snipe is not related to the true snipes and differs from them in habits, flight and appearance, being far more colourful and having longer legs than the snipes. It is unusual in that the female is larger and more brightly coloured than the male, with the sides of the head, neck and throat a rich chestnut brown, and a distinct black band across the breast; the male is paler and greyer. It is not a vocal species. The male Greater painted-snipe utters a shrill trill, while the female Greater painted-snipe makes a guttural look sound as well as hissing noises during breeding displays.
Prey of Greater painted-snipe
Greater painted-snipe feed on insects, crustaceans, molluscs and seeds.
Behaviour of Greater painted-snipe
The female Greater painted-snipes court the male Greater painted-snipes, and are polyandrous in nature, with males incubating and raising the young as predicted by parental investment theory.
Offsprings of Greater painted-snipe
The offsprings of Greater painted-snipe are buff coloured and have black stripes running along their length. The immature birds resemble the male but lack the broken dark band across the breast. Males are also known to carry the chicks to safety under the wings.
Nests of Greater painted-snipe
The nest of Greater painted-snipe is usually a shallow scrape in soft ground, lined with plant material and situated among grass or reeds at the water`s edge; sometimes a pad of vegetation or a nest of grass and weeds.
Breeding Season of Greater painted-snipe
The breeding season of Greater painted-snipe is in between April and July.
