Chatham snipe

Chatham snipe
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Scolopaci
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Coenocorypha
Species: C. pusilla
Binomial name
Coenocorypha pusilla
(Buller, 1869)

The Chatham snipe or Chatham Island snipe (Coenocorypha pusilla) is a species of wader in the Scolopacidae family. 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.

Chatham Island snipe feed by probing into the ground in search of worms, amphipods, insects and larvae.[2]

Scientific discovery

In 1868 the Chatham Island 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]

References

  1. BirdLife International (2013). "Coenocorypha pusilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "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.

External links