Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The population in southern South America is suspected to number 25,000-1,000,000 mature individuals, while the population on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) is placed in the band 15,000-27,000 mature individuals (Wetlands International 2022). The total population may therefore number 50,000-1,027,000 mature individuals, though the true population size is likely closer to the upper end of the band.
Trend justification
The population in southern South America is suspected to be stable, while the population on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) has unknown trends (Wetlands International 2022). It is however feared that the latter has declined as a consequence of habitat loss through burning of grasslands and of shooting (Van Gils et al. 2021). Precautionarily, the overall population is suspected to be in slow decline.
The species occurs from central Chile and adjacent Argentina south to Patagonia, as well as on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).
The species mainly inhabits peat bogs, wet grassland, flooded fields, and marshes (Van Gils et al. 2021). It may undertake some seasonal migratory movements with part of the population moving north to northern Argentina and Uruguay during April-July; while in the past the species was a breeding visitor to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the population there now appears to be resident throughout the year (Van Gils et al. 2021).
At least locally, the species is threatened by the loss of its grassland habitat through burning, as well as by shooting (Van Gils et al. 2021).
Text account compilers
Hermes, C.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Magellanic Snipe Gallinago magellanica. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/magellanic-snipe-gallinago-magellanica on 28/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 28/11/2024.