Great Snipe

Gallinago media

Introduction

Great Snipe is a rare autumn visitor to our shores, with most records falling from August to October. Arriving from Scandinavia and eastern Europe, most reports come from the Northern Isles and east coast. The number of records has declined markedly in recent years.

Key Stats

Status

Rare

Weight

187.5g

Seasonality

BTO Records

263 records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

No current data

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Near Threatened

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Kent, c. 1780

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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This species has been too rarely reported to BirdTrack during 2011–22 to properly assess seasonality.

Movement

Information about Great Snipe movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Great Snipe, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Great Snipe

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Scientific name: Gallinago media
Authority: Latham, 1787

BTO 2-letter code: DS
BTO 5-letter code: GRESN
Euring code number: 5200

Alternate species names

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Catalan: becadell reial
Czech: bekasina vetší
Danish: Tredækker
Dutch: Poelsnip
Estonian: rohunepp
Finnish: heinäkurppa
French: Bécassine double

German: Doppelschnepfe
Hungarian: nagy sárszalonka
Icelandic: Heiðasnípa
Irish: Naoscach Mhór
Italian: Croccolone
Latvian: (kikuts), kuitals
Lithuanian: paprastasis stulgys
Norwegian: Dobbeltbekkasin

Polish: (bekas) dubelt
Portuguese: narceja-real
Slovak: mociarnica tichá
Slovenian: coketa
Spanish: Agachadiza real
Swedish: dubbelbeckasin
Welsh: Gïach Mawr

English folkname(s): Solitary Snipe

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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