Sandpipers & Snipes in Costa Rica
Our list for Costa Rica has 25 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 14 winter visitors, 9 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Costa Rica in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 25, most common first
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–May
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusWinter visitorUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Jul–May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Jul–May
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Jul–May
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Aug–May
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
RuffCalidris pugnaxScarceRare20–32 cmRegularly Nov
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Oct–Dec
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
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Pectoral 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
- 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