Wood snipe

Wood snipe
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Gallinago
Species:	G. nemoricola
Binomial name
Gallinago nemoricola Hodgson, 1836

The wood snipe (Gallinago nemoricola) is a species of snipe which breeds in the Himalayas of northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and southern China. In winter, it occurs at lower altitudes in the Himalayas, as a regular visitor in small numbers to north Vietnam. it also occurs as a vagrant in central and southern India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, north Thailand and Laos.

This is a dark snipe, 28–32 centimetres (11–13 in) in length, with a short, broad-based bill. It breeds in alpine meadows above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), moving to lower altitudes in the winter.

This species is classified as vulnerable, with a population of less than 10,000 birds. Major threats to its existence include habitat loss and hunting. It has been recorded in some protected areas, including Langtang and Sagarmatha National Parks in Nepal.

References

• BirdLife Species Factsheet