PAINTED SNIPE Rostratula benghalensis

One of only three members of its family (now the Australian one has been split). Painted Snipes are usually difficult to see being secretive and crepuscular. Like Phalaropes the female is the more brightly plumaged and the male incubates and looks after the chicks. We managed to miss them on several trips until "being in" on the first breeding record for Hong Kong, but they seem especially easy in Namibia, where the centre female was walking across a small roadside pool. We have seen them in several other countries now, the others were taken in Ghana recently.

Click on the photo to return to "waders" or here for HOMEPAGE