The Occurrence of Two Allopatric SnipeGallinagospp. in the Azores Islands

Abstract

The Azores archipelago is located in the North Atlantic, consequently observations of birds of both Palearctic and Nearctic origin are not rare there. We evaluate the local occurrence of two allopatric snipe, the common snipe Gallinago gallinago and Wilson's snipe G. delicata. A hurdle model for fortnightly snipe counts on Säo Miguel Island suggests an arrival of foreign birds in October-November. Morphological characteristics were used to identify both snipe species among birds shot during hunting seasons on Pico and São Miguel Islands. The Nearctic Wilson's snipe is an annual winter visitor to the archipelago, representing from 8% of the hunting bags on Pico up to 56% on São Miguel. Further studies, using emerging technologies, may shed light on the origin of the migratory birds and their interaction with the local common snipe breeders.