Sandpipers & Snipes in Ireland
Our list for Ireland has 30 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 2 summer visitors, 11 winter visitors and 12 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Ireland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 30, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Sep–May
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Jul
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorRare29–31 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantRare23–27 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 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
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 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
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 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