Definition of painted snipe in English:

noun

• A small long-billed wading bird which has brown plumage with bold and colourful markings.

  Family Rostratulidae: two species, in particular Rostratula benghalensis of the Old World

  Example sentences

  • ‘You can admire the fine pencilling of plumage, the perfection of colour, design and finish: the plumage of the painted snipe, for example was like finely worked bronze.’
  • ‘A female Marsh harrier was chasing a male painted snipe in flight.’
  • ‘One species - the greater painted snipe - appears to be the exception proving his rule: only the females are territorial and only they have elongated tracheas.’