Definition

Noun: * Wilson's snipe: A specific species of medium-sized, long-billed marsh bird (Gallinago delicata) native to North America. It is a cryptically colored, migratory shorebird known for its distinctive winnowing flight sound during courtship displays.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We spotted a Wilson's snipe probing the mud for worms along the edge of the marsh.
  • The eerie, winnowing sound heard over the fields at dusk is often made by a Wilson's snipe.
  • Birdwatchers distinguish the Wilson's snipe from other similar species by its intricate back patterning and tail feathers.

Advanced Usage

• Taxonomic Context: The name "Wilson's snipe" honors the early 19th-century American ornithologist Alexander Wilson. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Common Snipe () but is now recognized as a full species.
  • The Wilson's snipe was elevated to full species status based on differences in its tail feathers and flight display.

Variants and Related Words

• Snipe (n): The general common name for birds in the genus . "Wilson's snipe" is a specific type of snipe.
  • While all Wilson's snipes are snipes, not all snipes seen in North America are Wilson's snipes.
• Gallinago delicata (n): The scientific (Latin) name for Wilson's snipe.

Synonyms

• American snipe (n): A direct synonym for Wilson's snipe.
• Common snipe (n): This term can cause confusion. It properly refers to the Eurasian species (), but was historically used for the American bird before its reclassification.

Noun

1. American snipe