South Island snipe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Island snipe |
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The South Island snipe (Coenocorypha iredalei) was a special type of bird. It was also called the Stewart Island snipe or tutukiwi in Māori. This bird belonged to the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It lived only in New Zealand and is now extinct, meaning it has completely disappeared.
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About Its Name
Scientists had some trouble figuring out the exact family tree of the Coenocorypha snipes. This was because there weren't many samples, and some information was mixed up. The South Island snipe used to be thought of as a type of Subantarctic snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica). However, experts later decided it was its own unique species.
The second part of its scientific name, iredalei, honors a bird expert named Tom Iredale. The Māori name, "tutukiwi," can be used for other snipes in this group too. It means the bird looks a bit like a tiny kiwi, which is another famous New Zealand bird.
Where It Lived and Why It Disappeared
The South Island snipe is now extinct. Long ago, it lived on the South Island and Stewart Island in New Zealand. It also lived on some smaller islands near Stewart Island.
The snipe disappeared from the main South Island and Stewart Island after Polynesians (the ancestors of the Māori people) arrived. They brought Pacific rats (Rattus exulans) with them. These rats hunted the snipes and their eggs.
The snipe managed to survive on at least nine small islands until the late 1800s and 1900s. But then, more rats and other animals that hunt birds, like weka, were brought to these islands. This caused the snipe to disappear from those places too. The very last records of the South Island snipe were from Big South Cape and Pukaweka Islands in the early 1960s.
The last effort to save the South Island snipe happened in 1964. Black rats accidentally arrived on Big South Cape Island. The New Zealand Wildlife Service tried to move some snipes to an island without rats. Two birds were caught and put in a special cage. But these snipes were very hard to care for because they needed fresh, live food all the time. Both birds died just a few days later. Since then, no one has seen a South Island snipe.
However, there's a hopeful part to this story. About 40 years later, in 2005, 30 Snares snipes were moved to Putauhinu Island. This island is very close to Big South Cape Island and used to be home to the South Island snipe. The rats had been removed from Putauhinu Island, and the Snares snipes were successfully moved there.
What It Looked Like
The South Island snipe was similar to other snipes in its group. It was a small bird, about 21–24 cm (8–9 inches) long. It had a plump body and patterns that helped it blend in with its surroundings. Its feathers had bars, stripes, and spots in shades of brown, from light cream to almost black. It also had stripes on its face and the top of its head.
This bird had a long beak, but a short neck, legs, and tail. Its outer tail feathers were thin and stiff. This special tail helped the bird make a unique roaring sound during its night-time "hakawai" display in the air. The South Island snipe was different from other snipes because of the patterns and colors on its feathers. It had a wavy pattern on its chest and sides, with hints of reddish-brown and cinnamon colors.
How It Lived
One of the few people who studied the South Island snipe in its natural home was a naturalist named Herbert Guthrie-Smith. He wrote about his visit to Big South Cape Island in 1923 in his book, Sorrows and Joys of a New Zealand Naturalist (1936).
He observed that snipes started laying eggs around late October and early November. The eggs were large for the size of the bird, greeny-brown with dark spots. Both the male and female snipe would sit on the eggs to keep them warm.
The snipes relied on hiding to stay safe, not on flying away. Even when someone got close, they would only move a few feet into the bushes. They didn't seem to want to fly much at all. If they were scared off their nest, they would just spread their wings and move into nearby plants.
Guthrie-Smith also noticed that the snipes would often put their long beaks deep into the ground while sitting on their nests. Sometimes, they would even lean on their beaks for support.
He described a nest that was carefully built with moss, soft lichen, and tiny twigs. He enjoyed watching the parent snipes take turns caring for their eggs. Later, he watched them with their chicks.
The snipes moved in a unique way, rocking back and forth as if they were on springs. The male often walked a little ahead of the female. If they lost sight of each other, they would make a low, hoarse double croak to stay in touch. They would walk or trot, always probing the ground quickly and eagerly with their long beaks. They moved like tiny kiwis, taking a few steps, then quickly poking their beaks into the soil. They would pull out tiny red worms and other small insects to eat.
See also
In Spanish: Chochita de la Stewart para niños
