Sandpipers & Snipes in South Africa
Our list for South Africa has 19 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 13 summer visitors, 3 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Africa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 19, most common first
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorRare37–41 cmRecorded all year
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentRare50–60 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Feb
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Jan
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisScarceRare18–20 cm
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Jan
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Jan
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 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
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 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