Sandpipers & Snipes in British Columbia
Our list for British Columbia has 28 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 9 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors and 15 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in British Columbia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantCommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaSummer visitorCommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesSummer visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaResidentRare40–50 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly May–Feb
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WilletTringa semipalmataPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantRare17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly May–Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Wilson's Phalarope 22–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 cm
- Upland Sandpiper 28–32 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Willet 33–41 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 cm
- Hudsonian Godwit 36–42 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Marbled Godwit 40–50 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made