Dutch Birding volume 36 (2014) no 5

Great Snipe in the Netherlands: breeding record in 1884 and historic occurrence

This paper documents the first documented breeding record of Great Snipe Gallinago media in the Netherlands, a clutch with three eggs collected on 28 May 1884 supposedly at Naardermeer, Noord-Holland (now present at Norfolk Museum, Norwich, England). Some unproven records are also given, concerning some undated eggs and some adult birds present in the collections. All this gives (some) credit to statements that the species was a former breeding bird in the Netherlands that disappeared at the end of the 19th century.

Appendix 1 summarizes all labelled specimens in Dutch and foreign museums known to be collected in the Netherlands. A summary of the current status as spring and autumn vagrant is given.

Justin J F J Jansen, p/a Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Postbus 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Nederland
(justin.jansennaturalis.nl)