Common Snipe vs Wilson's Snipe

Gallinago gallinago compared with Gallinago delicata

Key Differences

• Common Snipe is Critically Endangered while Wilson's Snipe is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Snipe	Wilson's Snipe
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family same	Scolopacidae	Scolopacidae
Genus same	Gallinago	Gallinago
Species	Gallinago gallinago	Gallinago delicata

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Snipe and Wilson's Snipe share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Gallinago.

Conservation Status

Common Snipe

CR — Critically Endangered

Wilson's Snipe

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Snipe	Wilson's Snipe
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Snipe

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Wilson's Snipe

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Norway, Sweden), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Common Snipe

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States