Antipodes snipe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Antipodes Island snipe |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Coenocorypha |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
C. a. meinertzhagenae
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| Trinomial name | |
| Coenocorypha aucklandica meinertzhagenae Rothschild, 1927
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The Antipodes Island snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica meinertzhagenae), also called the Antipodes snipe, is a special type of Subantarctic snipe. It lives only on the Antipodes Islands. These islands are a small group south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean. This bird is unique to these islands, meaning it's found nowhere else in the world!
Contents
What is the Antipodes Island Snipe?
How it Got its Name
The Antipodes Island snipe was first found by explorers Fairchild in 1887 and Andreas Reischek in 1888. A scientist named Walter Rothschild first described it in 1893. He named it Gallinago tristrami to honor Henry Baker Tristram.
Later, in 1927, Rothschild gave it a new name. He recognized it as a subspecies of Coenocorypha aucklandica. The second part of its scientific name, meinertzhagenae, honors Annie Meinertzhagen. She was a British bird expert.
What Does the Antipodes Snipe Look Like?
The Antipodes Island snipe looks a lot like the Auckland Island snipe. However, the Antipodes snipe has darker feathers on its back. Its belly feathers are also more yellowish.
Where Does the Antipodes Snipe Live?
The snipe lives only on the Antipodes Islands. This island group is about 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles) in total. You can find these birds on the main Antipodes Island. They also live on smaller islands nearby. These include Bollons, Archway, and Inner Windward Islands.
What is Their Home Like?
These snipes like to live in tussock grasslands. They also live in areas with many small plants, called herbfields. They often build their nests under tussock grasses. They also like to nest under Polystichum vestitum shield ferns.
How Do Antipodes Snipes Behave?
Breeding and Raising Young
Antipodes snipes have a special breeding season. They start laying eggs in the middle to late August. Usually, a female snipe lays two eggs at a time.
They also perform amazing aerial displays. These are sometimes called "Hakawai" displays.
What Do They Eat?
The Antipodes snipe eats many different small creatures. Their diet includes annelids (like worms) and amphipods (small crustaceans). They also eat isopods, arachnids (like spiders), and various insects.
How is the Antipodes Snipe Doing?
Scientists estimate there are about 8,000 Antipodes snipes. This bird is considered an island endemic. This means it lives only in a specific, small area. Its population is currently stable, which is good news for this unique bird!
