Pin-tailed Snipe
Gallinago stenura
IUCN status: Least concern
Identification
Cryptic shorebird of wetlands, wet meadows, and both flooded and dry agricultural fields. Extremely similar in appearance to other snipe, particularly Swinhoe’s Snipe; careful study and photography usually required to confirm identification. Namesake diagnostic thin gray outer tail feathers are only visible when tail is spread.
Confusing Species
Other snipes.
Distribution
Distribution
No ordinary distribution in Australia.
Migratory habits
Migrates south to India and SE Asia.
Breeding
Breeds in Eurasia.
Recent Sightings of Pin-tailed Snipe in Australia
| Location | State | Sighting period | |
| Broome | WA | 26-Jan-12 to 27-Jan-12 | |
| Broome | WA | 21-Mar-11 to 22-Mar-11 | |
| Broome | WA | 8-Jan-10 to 12-Jan-10 | |
| Anna Plains Station | WA | 8/11/2023 | |
| Anna Plains Station | WA | 22/04/1994 | |
| Jerrabomberra Wetlands NR | ACT | 6/02/2022 | |
| Broome | WA | 18/02/2005 | |
| Broome | WA | 16/02/1998 | |
| Broome | WA | 31/01/2004 |
References
- Geering, Andrew, Lindsay Agnew, and Sandra Harding, eds. Shorebirds of Australia. Csiro Publishing, 2007.
- eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
- Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
- Driessen, J., Kidd, L. R., Weller, D. R., Purnell, C., Maguire, G., Jaensch, R., and LeClair, S. M. (2025). Australian National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat. Report for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
- https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/
- van Gils, J., P. Wiersma, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pitsni.01