Sandpipers & Snipes in Japan
Our list for Japan has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 3 summer visitors, 11 winter visitors and 11 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Japan in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Aug–May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Sep–May
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorUncommon18–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaResidentRare33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Aug
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Temminck's Stint 13–15 cm
- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 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
- 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