The Chatham Islands snipe, also known as the Chatham snipe, is a species of wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, and is only found on a few islands in the south of the Chatham Islands group.
Region
Chatham Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs on a few small islands in the southern Chatham Islands group, notably Rangatira (South East Island) and Mangere Island, with absence from the main inhabited islands due to predators. It inhabits dense coastal scrub, tussock grassland, and forest edges with deep leaf litter. Birds often use seabird-influenced soils and burrow systems that remain moist and rich in invertebrates. The species is highly site-faithful and persists only where biosecurity keeps rats, cats, and other mammals absent.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 250 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small, cryptic snipe is confined to a handful of predator-free islets in the Chatham Islands and is extremely vulnerable to introduced mammals. Males perform a dramatic nocturnal aerial display that produces a haunting ‘hakawai’ sound, created by air rushing over specialized tail feathers. It forages by probing soft soil and leaf litter for invertebrates and relies on dense cover to avoid predators. Conservation management has focused on biosecurity and habitat restoration on islands such as Rangatira (South East Island) and Mangere.
Chatham Islands snipe (Coenocorypha pusilla) mounted skin
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Largely solitary outside the breeding season, forming loose associations where habitat is concentrated. Nests on the ground under dense cover, with both adults tending chicks that leave the nest soon after hatching. Territorial during breeding, using cryptic crouching and short flush flights to evade threats.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Usually quiet, giving soft ‘chip’ contact calls and sharp alarm notes when flushed. Males perform a nocturnal display flight with a distinctive non-vocal ‘hakawai’ roar or hum produced by the tail feathers, sometimes accompanied by thin whistles.
