Antipodes Snipe
Encyclopedia
The Antipodes Snipe or Antipodes Island Snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica meinertzhagenae) is an isolated subspecies
of the Subantarctic Snipe that is endemic to the Antipodes Islands
, a subantarctic
island group south of New Zealand
in the Southern Ocean
.
in 1888. It was first described by Walter Rothschild in 1893 as Gallinago tristrami in honour of Henry Baker Tristram
. However, doubts were raised about the provenance of the type specimen, which appeared to be from the Auckland Islands, and Rothschild made a new description in 1927, recognising the Antipodes Island form as a subspecies of Coenocorypha aucklandica. The subspecific name honours British
ornithologist
Annie Meinertzhagen
, the second wife of ornithologist Richard Meinertzhagen
.
– but differs in being darker above and with yellower underparts.
grassland
s and herbfield
s, nesting under tussocks and Polystichum vestitum
shield ferns.
” aerial displays have been recorded.
s, amphipods, isopods, arachnid
s and insect
s.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Subantarctic Snipe that is endemic to the Antipodes Islands
Antipodes Islands
The Antipodes Islands are inhospitable volcanic islands to the south of—and territorially part of—New Zealand...
, a subantarctic
Subantarctic
The Subantarctic is a region in the southern hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° – 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and...
island group south of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
.
Taxonomy and etymology
The Antipodes Snipe was first collected by Fairchild in 1887, and by Andreas ReischekAndreas Reischek
Andreas Reischek was an Austrian taxidermist, naturalist, ornithologist and collector notable for his extensive natural history collecting expeditions throughout New Zealand as well as being notorious for acts of grave robbing there...
in 1888. It was first described by Walter Rothschild in 1893 as Gallinago tristrami in honour of Henry Baker Tristram
Henry Baker Tristram
The Reverend Henry Baker Tristram FRS was an English clergyman, Biblical scholar, traveller and ornithologist.Tristram was born at Eglingham vicarage, near Alnwick, Northumberland, and studied at Durham School and Lincoln College, Oxford. In 1846 he was ordained a priest, but he suffered from...
. However, doubts were raised about the provenance of the type specimen, which appeared to be from the Auckland Islands, and Rothschild made a new description in 1927, recognising the Antipodes Island form as a subspecies of Coenocorypha aucklandica. The subspecific name honours British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
Annie Meinertzhagen
Annie Meinertzhagen
Annie Meinertzhagen was a British amateur ornithologist whose main contributions to knowledge about birds concerned waders, ducks and bird migration...
, the second wife of ornithologist Richard Meinertzhagen
Richard Meinertzhagen
Colonel Richard Henry Meinertzhagen CBE DSO was a British soldier, intelligence officer and ornithologist.- Background and youth :Meinertzhagen was born into a socially connected, wealthy British family...
.
Description
The Antipodes Snipe is similar to the nominate subspecies – the Auckland SnipeAuckland Snipe
The Auckland Snipe or Auckland Islands Snipe is a small bird in the sandpiper family. It is the isolated nominate subspecies of the Subantarctic Snipe that is endemic to the Auckland Islands, a subantarctic island group south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean.-Taxonomy and etymology:The...
– but differs in being darker above and with yellower underparts.
Distribution and habitat
The snipe is endemic to the Antipodes group, which has a total surface area of 22 km2. It has been recorded not only from the main Antipodes Island, but also from the much smaller Bollons, Archway and Inner Windward Islands. It inhabits the islands’ tussockTussock (grass)
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are found as native plants in natural ecosystems, as forage in pastures, and as ornamental grasses in gardens....
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and herbfield
Herbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments...
s, nesting under tussocks and Polystichum vestitum
Polystichum vestitum
Polystichum vestitum, commonly known as the Prickly Shield Fern, is a hardy, evergreen or semi-evergreen ground fern.-Description:...
shield ferns.
Breeding
Breeding is seasonal, with egg-laying beginning in mid to late August. The typical clutch size is two. “HakawaiHakawai
Hakawai, also pronounced and spelt Hokioi in the North Island, with various similar, slightly variant spellings, was the name given by New Zealand Māori people to a mythological bird that was sometimes heard but not usually seen...
” aerial displays have been recorded.
Feeding
The snipe have been recorded as feeding on a variety of invertebrates, including annelidAnnelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
s, amphipods, isopods, arachnid
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
s and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.