Sandpipers & Snipes in Iceland
Our list for Iceland has 22 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 9 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 6 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Iceland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 22, most common first
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorCommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Aug
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaResidentCommon20–22 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaSummer visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Sep
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Oct
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantRare23–27 cmRegularly May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaScarceRare19–21 cm
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
GreenshankTringa nebulariaScarceRare30–35 cm
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Jul
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 cm
- Eurasian Woodcock 33–38 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 cm
- Black-tailed Godwit 40–44 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Curlew 50–60 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