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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Rostratulidae
  4. ›
  5. Rostratula
  6. ›
  7. Australian Painted-snipe
Australian Painted-snipe
Photo · no rights reserved

BirdUp · Species

Australian Painted-snipe

Rostratula australis(Gould, 1838)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Endemic
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Rostratulidae
Genus
Rostratula

At a glance

The Australian Painted-snipe is a medium-sized bird, about 24–30 cm long, listed as Endangered and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
24–30 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Australian Painted-snipe look like?

The Australian Painted-snipe is a medium-sized bird, about 24–30 cm long and weighing 106–145 g.

The Australian painted-snipe is a medium-sized, long-billed, distinctively patterned wader.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
24–30 cm
Weight
106–145 g
Wingspan
50 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Australian Painted-snipe?

The Australian Painted-snipe is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Australian Painted-snipe eat?

The Australian Painted-snipe feeds on seeds, foliage/herbs and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Australian Painted-snipe live in Australia?

The Australian Painted-snipe is endemic to Australia, recorded across 42 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except west-central, north-central, north-east, Tasmania)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Resident
  • Vagrant

8 regions recorded