Rostratulidae

Rostratulidae [‚rä·strə′tyü·lə‚dē]

(vertebrate zoology)

A small family of birds in the order Charadriiformes containing the painted snipe; females are more brightly colored than males.

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Rostratulidae 

(painted snipes), a family of birds of the suborder Limicolae. The body length is 19–24 cm. The long, hard bill is slightly broadened at the apex. The neck is short. The legs are relatively short, with long toes. The plumage is brown with olive, gray, and white markings. The males are smaller and duller in color than the females. The family has two species, distributed in tropical and subtropical Eastern and Southern Asia, as well as in the Philippines, Australia, Africa, and the southern portion of South America. The Old World painted snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) migrates into the Primor’e Krai. The birds are secretive inhabitants of marshes. Their nests are on the ground; a clutch has two to five eggs. Only the male incubates the eggs and cares for the young. The diet consists of insects, worms, and other invertebrates; sometimes the birds feed on seeds.