Jack Snipe
Snipe ( Lymnocryptes minimus )
The Snipe ( Lymnocryptes minimus ) is a monotypic species of the family of Waders. It is the only species of the genus Lymnocryptes. The one in the boreal and subborealen zone of Northeast Europe to Eastern Siberia breeding birds can be observed in Central Europe as a regular migrant. Some individuals also overwinter in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Hungary. From Poland there are isolated breeding observations.
Features
The 17 to 19 cm long jacksnipe is 40 to 60 g in weight, has a wingspan from 30 to 36 cm, which is significantly smaller than the similar snipe. On the back, the shimmering metallic green up close, the bird is dark brown colored and marked with yellowish stripes. At the apex is a dark center strip. Typical is the four inches short and straight beak. The tail is wedge-shaped and has no white component.
Outside the breeding season, the Jack Snipe is very silent. The mating call of the male is, however, still be heard at a distance of one kilometer. It sounds logitokk logitokk and is as well established both in flight from the ground.
Distribution and habitat
In summer, the Jack Snipe breeds in marshes and bogs of Scandinavia to eastern Siberia. Dwarf snipes are long-and short -distance migrant They winter in Western and North-West Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Sahel and in West Asia. Basically, two populations can be distinguished, one of which breeds in northern Europe and winters in southern and western Europe and to a lesser extent in West Africa. The second population breeds in Western Siberia and winters mostly in south-west Asia and north-eastern Africa to Tanzania. As an important wintering areas of this population is considered the southern Sudan and the Nile Delta.
The habitat of the Jack Snipe are great bogs and wet meadows. During the migration period they raced in fens, moist to wet meadow areas, border areas of Verlandszonen with sedges, cattails and reeds and silt, alluvial and ruderal areas.
Behavior
The Snipe hiding in the vegetation, crouches at risk on the ground. The flight distance at rest areas and on the nest is usually only one to two meters, sometimes even less than a meter. The bird is flying at a rapid bat- like flight to mute and ends after a short distance back.
Fetched jacksnipe closer Eslohe, Hochsauerlandkreis, NRW
Snipe in the nature reserve " wet grassland Hengsbecker Bach" in Eslohe, Hochsauerlandkreis, North Rhine -Westphalia
Reproduction
The Snipe leads to complicated Balzflüge that contain within rhythmic clatter of a nose dive from up to 50 m height and different wave flights. It breeds mainly in the taiga bogs or wet meadows. The nest usually consists of four relatively large eggs.
Food
The diet consists mainly of small invertebrates and seeds, which are captured from the upper soil layers.
Stock
The stock numbers of Jack Snipe are due to their secretive lifestyle is very difficult to determine. The stock of dwarf snipe is estimated at the beginning of the 21st century 18000-70000 breeding pairs. Among the European countries that are having more than 1,000 breeding pairs Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden. Wetlands International points out that this figure may be a significant underestimate, since the number of / was 1999 49.460 individuals in the winter of 1998 in France alone. Based on an estimated annual hunting bag 120000-150000 individuals for Europe and North Africa, it was estimated that the number of pulling over Western Europe dwarf snipe could indicate a fall population of 2.5 to 3.0 millions of individuals. This results in a breeding population of more than 500,000 pairs.
The Snipe is one of the species that will be particularly affected by climate change. A research team that examined the future diffusion trend of European breeding birds on the basis of climate models for the UK Environment Agency and the RSPB, assumes that the distribution area will be smaller by 70 percent at the end of the 21st century than the current one. Only ten percent of the current area of distribution still satisfies the habitat requirements of Article Potentially newly colonized the region in the south of Novaya Zemlya.
System
The Snipe is in the monotypic genus Lymnocryptes, which is closely related to the genus Gallinago and how anatomically largely coincides morphologically with this. It differs anatomically by a double incised posterior margin of the sternum and a structure of the syrinx, which is unique within the class of birds. Among the external distinguishing features include the keilförmigere tail, which comprises only twelve feathers, of which the middle are pointed, tapered inner secondaries and greatly prolonged elbow springs. The beak base is higher than Gallinago, the beak total laterally narrower. One feature that distinguishes it from all other birds Schnepf, the metallic -green luster of some springs the top.