Chatham Islands snipe

Chatham Islands snipe
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Coenocorypha
Species:	C. pusilla
Binomial name
Coenocorypha pusilla (Buller, 1869)
Synonyms
Gallinago pusillaBuller, 1869

The Chatham Islands snipe (Coenocorypha pusilla), also known as the Chatham snipe, is a species of wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, and is only found on a few islands in the south of the Chatham Islands group. ^[2]

Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland.

The Chatham Islands snipe feeds by probing into the ground in search of worms, amphipods, insects and larvae. ^[2]

Scientific discovery

Chatham Islands snipe (Coenocorypha pusilla) mounted skin

In 1868 the Chatham Islands snipe was collected by naturalist Charles Traill and was sent to ornithologist Walter Buller who described it as a new species of snipe. On an exploratory mission to the islands in 1871, Henry Travers only found the snipe on Mangere Island. ^[3] Attempts to return snipe to main Chatham Island would be hampered by the presence of introduced mammals and of weka, which are predators of snipe chicks. ^[4]

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Coenocorypha pusilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22693137A93385774. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693137A93385774.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Story: Wading birds - Chatham Island snipe". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
3. "Tutukiwi, the Chatham Island snipe". New Zealand Birds Ltd. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
4. Mulligan, Jesse; Toki, Nicola (14 October 2016). "Critter of the Week". RNZ. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• Chatham Island snipe discussed on RNZ Critter of the Week, 14 October 2016