paintedsnipe

Australian Painted-Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Hexham Swamp, NSW

Australian Painted-Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Hexham Swamp, NSW. The Painters fed with a slightly open bill in shallow water covered by duckweed.

Australian Painted-Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Hexham Swamp, NSW. The Painters would feed until they were disturbed by a Purple Swamphen. This happened on three occasions during my observations. Swamphens probably prey upon Painter nests and chicks.

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Australian Painted-Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Hexham Swamp, NSW

The Australian Painted-Snipe shares its habitat during the summer months with the more common Latham's Snipe or Japanese Snipe which breeds mostly in Japan, wintering (in Australian summer) in south-east Australia.

Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii, Hexham Swamp, NSW

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Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii, Walka Waterworks, NSW

Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii, Walka Waterworks, NSW. In this shot the snipe is suckign an invertebrate from the mud.

The Australian Painted-Snipe is one of Australia's rarest and least known birds. Recent research suggests that it is specifically distinct from the Painted-Snipe that occur in Asia, Europe and Africa. The following photographs were taken in November 2006 near the Pambalong Nature Reserve, on the western outskirts of the Hexham Swamp, sometimes referred to locally as the "Poor Man's Kakadu". Among other differences, the female Australian painter has a mostly chocolate brown head without the extensive russet colour that the northern hemisphere birds have.