Sandpipers & Snipes in Galway
Our list for Galway has 24 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 4 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Galway in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 24, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–May
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosScarceUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Sep
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusPassage migrantUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Aug–Jan
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusScarceRare18–19 cmRegularly Jun
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusScarceRare17–19 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Green Sandpiper 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