Victoria,
Seychelles | June 11, 2016, Saturday @ 13:04 By: Sharon
Meriton-Jean and Betymie Bonnelame
(Seychelles News Agency) - A
student of the University of Seychelles has spotted for first time in the
island nation a greater painted-snipe, a rare and unusual bird.
Catherina Onezia first saw
the greater painted-snipe at Perseverance, a reclaimed island close
to the centre of Mahe, the most populated island of the archipelago.
The species is a rarity
among birds as the female is larger and has brighter coloured
feathers than the male. Usually in the bird family, it is the opposite -- males
are larger and more colourful than females.
“To spot a rarity I think it is
up to chance, but if you have some special skills to spot elusive birds,
then when you are on the field, you know what you are looking for,” Onezia told
SNA.
It took the second sighting for
Onezia to snap a photo of the species.
“When I spotted the bird, I knew
straight away that it was a snipe and one that I hadn't spotted before. So,
with camera in hand, we became the paparazzi and it (the bird) the unique
superstar,” said Onezia.
This is the first time
the greater painted-snipe has been seen in Seychelles, a group of 115
islands in the western Indian Ocean. The species is characterised by its
slightly downward curving bill used for probing preys in water and mud with
long partly webbed feet adapted for walking in muddy areas.
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