LC
Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Christidis, L.; Boles, W. E. 2008. Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Cramp, S. and Perrins, C.M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Cramp, S.; Perrins, C. M. 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N. J.; Christie, D. A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L. D. C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass 121 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 5,270,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 29,800,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2009
Population trend unknown - - -
Generation length 4.8 years - - -

Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.25,000-100,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population estimates include: c.50-10,000 individuals on migration in China; c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan; < c.1,000 individuals on migration and < c.1,000 wintering individuals in Japan and c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).

Trend justification: The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Australia extant native
Brunei extant native
China (mainland) extant native
Guam (to USA) extant native yes
Hong Kong (China) extant native
India extant native
Indonesia extant native
Israel extant vagrant
Japan extant native
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Malaysia extant native
Maldives extant vagrant
Micronesia, Federated States of extant native yes
Mongolia extant native yes
Myanmar extant native
Nepal extant vagrant
North Korea extant native
Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) extant native yes
Palau extant native yes
Papua New Guinea extant native
Philippines extant native
Russia extant native yes
Russia (Asian) extant native
Russia (Central Asian) extant native yes
Singapore extant native
South Korea extant native
Sri Lanka extant native
Taiwan, China extant native
Thailand extant native
Timor-Leste extant native yes yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Kazakhstan Paradise Valley mountain plateau
Russia (Asian) Artysh ridge
Russia (Asian) Northern slope of Khamar-Daban mountains
Russia (Asian) Sayanski canyon of the Enisey river
Russia (Asian) Tunkin valley
Russia (Central Asian) Baturino-Simansky area
Russia (Central Asian) Bystroistokskaya
Russia (Central Asian) Kurkure mountain
Russia (Central Asian) Pershinsko-Manatkinsky area
Russia (Central Asian) Shapshal ridge
Russia (Central Asian) Taezhno-Mikhaylovsky
Russia (Central Asian) Ust'-Ozerninskiye bogs
Russia (Central Asian) Yel'tsovskaya

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable non-breeding
Forest Boreal suitable breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/swinhoes-snipe-gallinago-megala on 23/12/2024.
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 23/12/2024.