Rocky Mountain Snipe

A Rocky Mountain Snipe is a flightless wading bird of the bird type Snipe in the family Scolopacidae. They are limited in distribution throughout Wyoming and Northern Colorado, but seeing a resurgence in other mountain states and in Western plains of the Dakotas. They are set apart from other snipe variety as they have only two front toes (sometimes giving the bird the name Two Toed Snipe).

Due to the a high predator presence and low population density, these birds are rarely seen and studied and thus a common trophy bird, commonly hunted in the alpine tundra in late summer and spring.

Taxonomy

The snipe make up part of the wader family Scolopacidae. The 15 typical snipes in the genus Gallinago are the closest relatives of the woodcocks, whereas the small genera Coenocorypha (the New Zealand snipes) and Lymnocryptes represent earlier divergences in the snipe/woodcock clade

Behavior

Lives near mountain streams and lakes seeking cover in the low shrubs and trees. It feeds on little insects and during the fall starts a short lived mating season involving a loud turkey-like noise call from the male. The males will work down stream calling loudly for the females and dodges in and out of the brush to scare the female out into the water.

Historical facts

Not much is know AbOUT the history of the birds and the evolution of the birds feet from three to two front toes is a mystery but is currently seem as a mutation which consequence.

Genera

  • Coenocorypha
  • Lymnocryptes
  • Gallinago

See also

  • Snipe hunt

br:Gioc'h bg:Бекасови de:Schnepfenvögel eo:Galinago fr:Bécassine (oiseau) nl:Snip pl:Bekasy sv:Beckasiner zh:鷸屬