Senior Leader Gavin Bieber writes from Alaska:

Late the evening of September 10, a large, dark, pot-bellied snipe was flushed out of the cut on Hutchinson Hill, the northeast point of St. Paul Island. We quickly relocated the bird on top of the hill, from where it flushed south along the road. Relatively good digiscoped images of the bill and facial pattern were obtained, along with distant photos of the bird standing.

Probable Solitary Snipe, Alaska. Photo: Gavin Bieber.

The large size, relatively rufous and gray unpatterned back, light mantle lines, dark breast, long bill, continuous dark line of even width through the eye, poorly marked facial stripes, and heavy flight are all good matches for Solitary Snipe, Gallinago solitaria–a species never before recorded in North America.

Comments on the photos and identification will be appreciated, particularly insights into distinguishing the similar Latham’s Snipe.