Painted snipes
Greater Painted Snipe
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Rostratulidae Genera: Rostralata Nycticryptes
Species
Rostralata benghalensis Nycticryptes semicollaris

Painted snipe are distinctive waders placed together in their own family Rostratulidae. They are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but much more brightly coloured.

The female is brighter than the male and takes the lead in courtship. The male incubates the eggs, usually 4, in a nest on the ground or floating for about 20 days.

Both species live in reedy swamps, and their diet consists of worms and other invertebrates they find with their long bills.

The Greater Painted Snipe (Rostralata benghalensis) is found in marshes in Africa, India, South-east Asia and Australia.

The Lesser Painted Snipe ( Nycticryptes semicollaris), inhabits grassy marshland in southern South America.

• ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES
• Suborder Charadrii: waders
  • Family Thinocoridae: seedsnipe
  • Family Pedionomidae: Plains Wanderer
  • Family Scolopacidae: snipe, sandpipers, phalaropes, and allies
  • Family Rostratulidae:
    • Greater Painted Snipe, Rostralata benghalensis
    • Lesser Painted Snipe, Nycticryptes semicollaris
  • Family Jacanidae: jacanas
  • Family Chionididae: sheathbills
  • Family Burhinidae: thick-knees
  • Family Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Family Recurvirostridae: avocets
  • Family Ibidorhynchidae: Ibisbill
  • Family Charadriidae plovers and lapwings
  • Family Pluvianellidae: Magellanic Plover
  • Family Dromadidae: Crab Plover
  • Family Glareolidae: pratincoles and coursers
• Suborder Lari: gulls and allies; 4 families
• Suborder Alcae: auks; 1 family