PROTECTION / THREATS / STATUS:
The South American Painted-Snipe is intolerant of agriculture impacts on its habitat, and loss and/or reduction of the habitat are the main threats.
Low water levels due to lack of rainfall, poor management of irrigation canals, presence of domestic cows, horses and dogs, are among the commonest problems.
In 2012, the population was estimated at 25,000/100,000 individuals, but recently, it was roughly estimated at minimum 8,000 individuals, giving an estimation of 10,000/50,000 mature individuals. The population is decreasing.
But this species is probably highly overlooked due to its cryptic habits and appearance.
The South American Painted-Snipe is currently classified as Near Threatened.
Fr: Rhynchée de Saint-Hilaire
Ang: South American Painted-Snipe
All: Weißflecken-Goldschnepfe
Esp: Aguatero Americano
Ita: Beccaccino dorato americano
Nd: Pampasnip
Sd: sydamerikansk rallbeckasin
Photographers:
Ken Havard
My Bird Gallery & Flickr gallery 1 & Flickr gallery 2
Dubi Shapiro
Dubi Shapiro Photo Galleries
Text by Nicole Bouglouan
Sources:
HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF THE WORLD Volume 3 by Josep del Hoyo-Andrew Elliott-Jordi Sargatal - Lynx Edicions - ISBN: 8487334202
L’ENCYCLOPEDIE MONDIALE DES OISEAUX - Dr Christopher M. Perrins - BORDAS - ISBN: 2040185607
GUIDE DES LIMICOLES de D. Taylor - Delachaux et Niestlé - ISBN : 2603014080
FICHA DE ANTECEDENTES DE ESPECIE
Fatbirder - The World’s Richest Information Resource about Birds for Birders
CREAGUS@Monterey Bay (Don Roberson)
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
South American Painted-snipe
Nycticryphes semicollaris
Charadriiformes Order – Rostratulidae Family
INTRODUCTION:
The South American Painted-Snipe is found in the southern half of South America in Paraguay, E to SE Brazil and Uruguay, and S to C Chile and C Argentina. It was recently recorded in Bolivia. It frequents swamps and marshes in lowlands, and the shallow vegetation near rivers and streams.
It forages and feeds in water and muddy areas near the vegetation. Its diet includes insects, water bugs, caterpillars, flies larvae and others such as water-snails and leeches, and also plant matter.
The South American Painted-Snipe is monogamous, unlike the Greater Painted-snipe of which female is often polyandrous, although being monogamous in some areas.
The breeding system is semi-colonial, with 3-6 nests scattered in the same area. The nest is placed on the ground or on the mud, sometimes on top of vegetation. Both parents share the nesting duties.
The South American Painted-Snipe has cryptic behaviour, making it difficult to detect and observe. The species is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture expansion and destruction or changes in the habitat, and by disturbances by domestic mammal species such as cows, horses or dogs.
The South American Painted-Snipe is currently listed as Near Threatened.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD:
Biometrics:
Length: 19-23 cm
Weight: 72-74 g
The South American Painted-Snipe has dark reddish-brown head, neck and upperbreast. The upperparts are dark greyish-brown and black. On the upperwing, scapulars and wing-coverts show variable, white, drop-shaped markings, while the flight-feathers display regular, smaller white spots and narrow white tips.
Both rump and wedge-shaped tail are greyish-buff with narrow, dark brown bars. Two pales golden straps on the sides of the mantle extend to the rump. They become white while extending to the sides of the lower neck, forming a pale broken collar on a black background.
On the underparts, the upper breast is dark reddish-brown. The belly is white with buff tinge on flanks, lower belly and undertail-coverts. On the underwing, the leading edge is blackish. Both underwing-coverts and axillaries are white.
On the dark head, a whitish stripe extends from the forehead to the nape. A narrow whitish supercilium is visible above the rear eye.
The long bill is greenish-yellow with orange, decurved tip. It becomes brighter during the breeding season.
The eyes are dark brown with yellowish orbital skin, forming a narrow eyering.
The strong legs and feet are green/yellowish green. (Many descriptions of this species mention webbed feet, which is not the case.)
Male and female show similar plumage, but the female is slightly larger than male, and her plumage pattern may appear more contrasted.
The juvenile has paler bill, mostly brownish or greyish. Legs and feet are pale grey. The plumage is much duller overall.
The chick has black bill, legs and feet. It is covered in greyish-brown to brown down with black bands.
RANGE:
The South American Painted-Snipe is found only in the southern half of South America. The species occurs in C Chile, N Argentina, SE Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It was recently recorded in Bolivia (2022).
HABITAT:
The South American Painted-Snipe frequents lowland freshwater wetlands, including wet grasslands and ricefields. It can be seen in open swamps and marshes, and of course along streams and rivers. It may also occur in estuaries in Argentina and Uruguay.
This species is usually present close to the sea-level, but in some parts of Brazil, it is recorded up to 1,000 metres of elevation, and around 500 metres in Chile. But it does not frequent the mountain habitats.
CALLS AND SONGS: SOUNDS BY XENO-CANTO
The South American Painted-Snipe is usually silent outside the breeding season. During this period, and especially in Argentina in October, it is known to utter a plaintive whistle at dusk while moving the head. However, this species rarely calls in flight.
Captive birds produce a querulous, hoarse or hissing two-note whistle “wee-oo” when approached too closely.
BEHAVIOUR IN THE WILD:
The South American Painted-Snipe is omnivorous. Its diet includes small invertebrates such as insects (beetles, water bugs, caterpillars and flies larvae). But it also takes mud snails and fresh-water snails and leeches. Crustaceans are also recorded in the diet of this species.
It also consumes smaller amounts of plant matter such as seeds of grasses including millet and rice.
The South American Painted-Snipe feeds in shallow water and muddy areas around and near the vegetation. The feeding technique involves shallow probing in soft muddy margins of wetlands with suitable, dense cover.
When feeding in shallow water, it uses a scythe-like motion of head and bill, sweeping from side to side in short, semi-circular movement. The tip of the bill remains submerged while the mandibles open and close, catching small aquatic prey. Very rarely, it may fully immerse its head in water while feeding.
The South American Painted-Snipe may occasionally swim short distances across narrow water courses, in order to reach suitable feeding areas. It is usually more active at dusk. It is often seen alone or in pairs, sometimes in small groups.
The South American Painted-Snipe is monogamous and semi-colonial, with several nests (3-6) reported in the same area.
The courtship displays are very poorly known. From an observation in October in Argentina, adults have been reported uttering and responding to a plaintive whistle call at dusk, while moving their head.
The nest is a shallow cup lined with vegetation, placed on the mud or among grasses and surrounded by water or in dense vegetation in wet areas. Both parents share the nesting duties.
The South American Painted-Snipe is mainly sedentary, but short-distance movements are reported, depending on local conditions of drought or flooding and changes in the water levels. This species does not like the dry areas.
These movements probably occur during the night.
When the bird is alarmed or threatened, it crouches down and moves along the ground discreetly. It the danger is too close, it takes off suddenly and silently, with stiff, flicking wingbeats and short glides, about ten metres above the vegetation. The legs are often dangling. Then, it drops back to cover.
REPRODUCTION OF THIS SPECIES:
The South American Painted-Snipe breeds during austral spring and summer. However, in optimal weather conditions, it may breed all year round. This period starts in June-August with courtship displays and pair-bonding.
The nest site is on the mud or in dense vegetation, often surrounded by water in wetlands, swamps and wet meadows, or at the edge of stream and estuaries.
The nest is a simple platform of grass and reed stems, placed on the mud or on wet vegetation on the ground. It is sometimes intertwined with low vegetation to keep the eggs above the ground and to avoid fluctuations in water levels.
The female lays 2-3 eggs, usually two. They are creamy-white with variable dark markings. The incubation presumably lasts 15-18 days, shared by both adults.
At hatching, the chicks are precocial. Their plumage is brown with dark stripes. Bill, legs and feet are black.
They follow their parents while giving loud, repetitive calls. Both adults care for the young birds and they forage together during some weeks after hatching.
