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Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) Alternate name(s): "Australian Snipe", "Japanese Snipe", "Jack Snipe", "Long-bill", "Bleater"; Misnomer: "Common Snipe*" Aboriginal name(s): "tiRmkalk" [yartwatjali], "tjimkalk" [djapwurrung], "tapiyalk" [western djadjawurrung] Size: 27-30 cm; wing span 50-54 cm Body mass: 150-230 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Latham's Snipes are medium-sized waders. Their plumage is highly cryptic, with colours ranging from creamy hues to dark-brown. Most of the plumage is brown, except for a dark-brown crown, eye-stripes and cheek stripes on the head, heavy dark-brown scalloping on the front and flanks. The dark-brown wing feathers have brown edge lining. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are creamy. When seen in Australia, Latham's Snipes are usually in eclipse plumage, with duller colours and less less contrast than during the breeding season. The eyes have dark irises. Latham's Snipes have a dark-tipped, long and straight brownish bill that is about twice as long as the size of the head. The legs and feet are yellowish-grey. Twitcher's tip Unless the tail pattern can be studied in detail, the three species Latham's Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe and Pin-tailed Snipe (not shown here yet) are indistinguishable in the field.

Taxonomy, classification See Latham's Snipe at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of Latham's Snipe is available HERE . Latham's Snipes are non-breeding migrants to Australia from the North (Japan and far-eastern Asia) along the eastern seaboard and Great Dividing Range of the Australian continent, including Tasmania. Occasionally found out West, to a line extending south from the QLD/NT border to Eyre peninsula, SA, and also in the Top End of the NT. They are not found in the western half of SA, anywhere other than the Top End of the NT and not at all in WA. Latham's Snipe can be found in various types of wetlands, around both freshwater and seawater. They are very shy and therefore prefer habitats with dense growth, e.g. tall reeds, for cover.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A couple of Latham's Snipes was seen by us twice in February/March 2009, on the fringes of Narrabri Lake, Narrabri, NSW. Since then this species is found by us semi-regularly during the southern summer at the same location, when the lake is not dry. C. Hayne reports that Latham's Snipes are regularly found along the edges of shallow wetlands, especially ephemeral wetlands, near Moree, NSW. B. Hensen reports seeing Latham's Snipes semi-regularly at Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW. A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Latham's Snipe at Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, in November 2014. A single Latham's Snipe was flushed at the Pilliga Bore Bath, Pilliga, NSW, in March 2016. M. Windeyer reports finding Latham's Snipe at Tiger Bay Wetlands, Warren, NSW, in October 2017. Two birds were found by us at the overflow pond of the Burren Junction Bore Bath, Burren Juction, NSW, in November 2017. M. Eaton reports spotting Latham's Snipes at Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, in August 2018. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports spotting a Latham's Snipe at Eagleby Wetlands, near Brisbane, QLD, in November 2020.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, October 2017]

Lateral view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage; note the apparent difference in colours compared to the photo above, which shows the same bird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, October 2017]

Lateral view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eagleby Wetlands, near Brisbane, QLD, November 2020]

Lateral view of Latham's Snipes in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of Latham's Snipes in non-breeding plumage foraging along the edge of a lake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, August 2018]

Dorsal view of a Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Greenwood Lakes, Forestdale, Brisbane, QLD, August 2018]

Three Latham's Snipes in non-breeding plumage on the fringes of a lake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, October 2017]

Three Latham's Snipes in non-breeding plumage on the fringes of a lake (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of Latham's Snipe in flight
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, November 2017]

Near-dorsal view of Latham's Snipe in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2017]

Dorsal view of Latham's Snipe in non-breeding plumage preparing to land; note the characteristic tail
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2013]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: ?

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Latham's Snipe is very shy and easily flushed, often at distances of ballpark 50 m.

Partly obscured lateral view of Latham's Snipe in cryptic posture
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2019]

Outside their breeding season, Latham's Snipe are very specific in their choice of habitat; we have so far ONLY found them on narrow muddy margins around fresh water, ALWAYS shielded from view by reeds or weeds, such as the plants shown here - checking this spot for about 10 minutes we could not find a bird hiding there (while seeing ducks and other bird species wading along the water's edge), but when finally approaching flushed two snipes
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2017]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

latsnip_20210513.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls(?)	© MD
latsnip_20161221.m4a	(NW NSW)	Alarm calls	© MD

More Latham's Snipe sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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