Sandpipers & Snipes in Bristol

13 species matching this filter.

All birds in BristolView family page

Bristol's diverse wetlands, estuarine mudflats, and river valleys provide vital habitat for 13 species of sandpipers and snipes. The Severn Estuary is a particularly important area for wading birds such as Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, and Red Knot, while quieter waterways and damp meadows attract species like Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, and the elusive Eurasian Woodcock.

Dunlin
DunlinSmallest · 16cm
to
Curlew
CurlewLargest · 60cm
Ranges from the Dunlin (16cm) to the Curlew (60cm)4 year-round residents
Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

A rare passage visitor, occasionally spotted along the Severn Estuary mudflats in April and August during spring and autumn migration.

Apr–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

A rare winter passage visitor in January and December, occasionally feeding on Severn Estuary mudflats.

Dec–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

A rare resident along Bristol's rivers and reservoirs, bobbing its tail on rocky margins. Absent in June, likely dispersing to breed.

Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

Winters in wet grasslands and marshy areas around the Avon valley. Listen for its rasping call when flushed from cover.

Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

An uncommon year-round presence, most often seen on the Severn Estuary with its evocative bubbling call.

Year-round

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Dunlin

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

Found on the Severn Estuary's mudflats in winter and passage periods. Scarce but regular, often in small flocks with other waders.

Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Woodcock

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

A rare November passage visitor, sometimes flushed from damp woodland floors on the outskirts of Bristol.

Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

A rare August passage migrant, occasionally spotted along streams and muddy pool edges near the city.

Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

A secretive winter visitor to boggy margins and wet meadows. Rarely seen, preferring to sit tight rather than flush.

Nov–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red Knot

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

A rare passage visitor in August, occasionally stopping at the Severn Estuary mudflats during southward migration.

Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redshank

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

Present year-round on the Severn Estuary and Avon mudflats. Its distinctive piping call carries across the saltmarshes.

Jun–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpresLC

A rare winter visitor, turning stones along the rocky shores of the Severn Estuary between November and February.

Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

A rare visitor in spring and late summer, passing through on migration. Listen for its distinctive rippling whistle.

Apr–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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