The greater painted snipe is a fascinating and unusual species of wader occurring in the marshy wetlands of Botswana and elsewhere. It is not a commonly seen bird, so when guests at Tuskers Bush Camp caught these two males wading and feeding in a pan in the privately owned concession east of the Moremi Game Reserve, the cameras came out and memories were made!
One of the interesting things about the greater painted snipe is that the female does the courting, and she is the more beautiful of the two. This is unusual in the world of birds, where males are often the more spectacular of the sexes in order to attract their female mates. Additionally, the female greater painted snipe does not incubate her eggs or rear her chicks. The males are the caretakers of the young, and have also been seen carrying their young under their wings for protection, much like the male African jacana.
This particular sighting is of two males who engage in a brief show of wings to one another was a wonderful moment for the birder’s on board the Tuskers Bush Camp game viewer!
Leave a Comment