Sandpipers & Snipes in India
Our list for India has 23 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 21 winter visitors, 1 passage migrant and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in India in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–May
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorRare29–31 cmRegularly Jul–May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorRare16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorRare37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorRare17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorRare33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosScarceRare19–23 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Temminck's Stint 13–15 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Spotted Redshank 29–31 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