Sandpipers & Snipes in Sri Lanka
Our list for Sri Lanka has 19 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 17 winter visitors, 1 passage migrant and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Sri Lanka in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 19, most common first
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataScarceRare17–22 cm
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Temminck's Stint 13–15 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 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