Subantarctic snipe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Subantarctic snipe |
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| Campbell snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica perseverance) | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Coenocorypha
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| Species: |
aucklandica
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The Subantarctic snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica) is a special bird. It is a type of snipe that lives only on the subantarctic islands south of New Zealand. The Māori people call this bird "Tutukiwi".
There are different types, or subspecies, of the Subantarctic snipe. The C. a. aucklandica (Auckland snipe) lives on the Auckland Islands. Another type, C. a. meinertzhagenae (Antipodes snipe), is found on the Antipodes Islands. The C. a. perseverance (Campbell snipe) lives on Campbell Island. Some snipe types that used to be part of this group are now seen as their own species. These include the Snares snipe and two extinct types, the South Island snipe and North Island snipe.
Contents
What Does the Subantarctic Snipe Look Like?
The Subantarctic snipe is a small wading bird. Adult birds grow to about 23 centimetres (9 inches) long. They have brown feathers that help them blend in with their surroundings. This is called camouflage.
They have strong legs and a thin beak about 5 centimetres (2 inches) long. Their head has black and reddish-brown stripes. Their body is brown with black and reddish-brown spots.
Where Do Subantarctic Snipes Live?
The Subantarctic snipe lives only on certain islands south of New Zealand. Each island or group of islands has its own special type of snipe.
New Zealand used to have two types of snipe living on its main islands. Sadly, both of these are now extinct. The South Island snipe disappeared when other animals, like the flightless weka and black rats, arrived on their islands. The last North Island snipe was seen in 1870.
The Campbell Island snipe almost disappeared too. But a few survived on a small nearby islet. They came back to the main island after the rats were removed.
How Do Subantarctic Snipes Behave?
The Subantarctic snipe usually does not fly much. It is also quite tame, meaning it is not very afraid of people. These birds build their nests on the ground. This makes them easy targets for animals that hunt them.
They like to live in places with lots of thick plants covering the ground. They eat different kinds of small creatures without backbones, like insects.
At night, the male snipes do a special dance to attract a mate. They fly high up and then dive straight down very fast. Snipes lay their eggs and raise their young at different times, depending on the island. This can happen between August and January.
Images for kids
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Campbell snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica perseverance)
See also
In Spanish: Chochita de las Auckland para niños
