Chatham snipe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chatham snipe |
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The Chatham snipe or Chatham Island snipe (Coenocorypha pusilla) is a special bird found only in New Zealand. It is a type of wader, which means it's a bird that often feeds in shallow water or soft ground. This bird belongs to the sandpiper family.
The Chatham snipe lives only on a few small islands in the Chatham Islands group. These islands are located to the east of New Zealand's main islands.
Its natural homes are cool forests and grassy areas. The Chatham snipe is considered a "Vulnerable" species. This means it faces a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
Chatham snipes use their long beaks to poke into the ground. They are looking for tasty worms, tiny shrimp-like creatures called amphipods, insects, and their larvae (baby insects).
Discovering the Chatham Snipe
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The Chatham snipe was first collected in 1868. A naturalist named Charles Traill found the bird. He sent it to a famous bird expert, Walter Buller. Buller then described it as a brand new species of snipe.
In 1871, another explorer named Henry Travers visited the islands. He found the snipe only on Mangere Island. This showed that the bird was already rare.
Later, people tried to bring the snipes back to the main Chatham Island. However, this was very difficult. New animals like cats and rats had been brought to the island. These animals, along with the native weka bird, are predators. They hunt and eat small birds and their chicks. This made it hard for the snipes to survive on the main island.
See also
In Spanish: Conchita de las Chatham para niños
