A small wading bird of 19 to 23 cm, with a dark reddish-brown head and neck, a blackish crown between two white stripes and a central stripe that is also white. The upperparts and wings are dark greyish brown, with black and white spots and orange or golden lines running along each flank. The underparts are white and the tail reddish chestnut with black streaks. The bill is long, curved downwards, pale green with a yellow base. Females are somewhat larger and paler-coloured than males.
Behaviour
Very elusive and stealthy, with crepuscular and nocturnal habits. It lives in freshwater marshes with short to medium grasses and on lagoon shores with reedbeds. It feeds by probing the mud and shallow water with its bill in search of invertebrates. It rarely shows itself in full daylight, which makes it one of the hardest birds in the wetland to observe.
How and when to see it
Year-round, though it is one of the hardest birds in the Iberá to detect because of its elusive, crepuscular behaviour. Your best chance is at dawn or dusk in marshes with short grassland and along lagoon edges.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where south american painted-snipe has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where south american painted-snipe lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiencias con relato local y mirada cultural sobre los esteros.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Travesías a caballo por una red de refugios en el Iberá. Cabalgatas de varios días con…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Senderismo guiado. Visita guiada a museos, lugares históricos, capillas y senderos del…★ 5.0 - Salvaje Iberá
Senderismo, cicloturismo, safari fotográfico, avistaje de fauna, paseos largos en el día…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameSouth American Painted-snipe
- Scientific nameNycticryphes semicollaris
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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