Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has a small population and a restricted range, with the plausible threat of becoming Vulnerable or Endangered in a very short time were invasive mammalian predators to be accidentally introduced. It is therefore classified as Near Threatened.
Population justification
The Snares Islands population is c.410 pairs (Miskelly 2020), with the population of the translocated Putauhinu Island growing to an estimated 500 birds in early 2013. Translocated birds were confirmed breeding on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island in late 2012 (P. McClelland in litt. 2013), suggesting that the total population now numbers over 1,000 mature individuals. Given that the population is thought to be stable overall (Robertson et al. 2021), the population is estimated to be in the range 1,000-1,500 mature individuals.
Trend justification
The population has increased following successful translocations. Overall the population trend is considered to have been stable over the last three generations (Robertson et al. 2013, 2017, 2021).
Coenocorypha huegeli is endemic to New Zealand, where it was historically restricted to the Snares Islands (3 km2), where it occurs on North East Island (280 ha), Broughton Island (48 ha) and Alert Stack (5 ha). However, the range is now larger than it ever was following successful translocations to Putauhinu and Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.
The species favours areas of dense ground cover where it feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates. It nests on the ground or in the middle of Poa tussocks about 30cm above ground (hence its vulnerability to introduced mammals); nests have been found from November to April (Miskelly et al., 2006).
Snares Island Snipe have never been impacted by introduced predators. However, Pacific rats Rattus exulans and cats have caused the extinction of two closely-related species, C. iredalei and C. barrierensis from mainland New Zealand and the adjacent island (Higgins and Davies, 1996; Tennyson and Martinson, 2006) such that it remains a plausible future threat.
Conservation Actions Underway
A translocation of birds occurred in 2005 to Putauhinu Island of the south west coast of Stewart Island and this population grew to at least 320 individuals in 2011 (Miskelly et al. 2012) and 500 birds in early 2013 (P. McClelland in litt. 2013). A second translocation of 30 individuals from the Snares Islands to Codfish Island/Whenua Hou took place in January 2013 (McClelland 2013). Individuals have subsequently been translocated to Kundy (2015 and 2017) and Mokinui Islands (2017) (Miskelly 2020).
20-23 cm. Small, plump variegated brown wader. Bill brown and slightly drooping, 4.5 cm. This species has extensive dense barring across the lower breast, flanks and, sometimes, most of the belly. The upperparts are finely barred giving an overall uniform impression. Also the uppertail is densely barred. Similar spp. C. huegeli is the only member of the genus present on the Snares Islands, but C. aucklandica is more strongly marked with cream and chocolate streaking and the mid-belly is unpatterned. Voice. Males have a territorial loud call consisting of a series of vibrant monosyllabic notes that build to disyllabic whistles.
Text account compilers
Clark, J., Vine, J.
Contributors
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Khwaja, N., Martin, R., McClelland, P.J., Miskelly, C., Symes, A. & Taylor, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Snares Island Snipe Coenocorypha huegeli. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/snares-island-snipe-coenocorypha-huegeli on 28/12/2024.
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 28/12/2024.