Sandpipers & Snipes in Cornwall

27 species matching this filter.

All birds in CornwallView family page

Cornwall's extensive coastline, estuaries, and wetlands provide vital habitat for 23 species of sandpipers and snipes. From the mudflats of the Hayle Estuary and Camel Estuary to the sheltered coves along the south coast, birdwatchers can encounter a wonderful variety of waders including Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Curlew, and Common Snipe. The county's position on the south-western tip of Britain also makes it an important stopover for passage migrants such as Curlew Sandpiper and Greenshank.

Little Stint
Little StintSmallest · 13cm
to
Curlew
CurlewLargest · 60cm
Ranges from the Little Stint (13cm) to the Curlew (60cm)12 year-round residents

Showing 24–27 of 27 species

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

A rare non-breeding visitor to sheltered estuaries, occasionally wintering at favoured sites like the Fal and Hayle estuaries.

Sep–Mar

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

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicaudaLC

A rare Nearctic vagrant occasionally turning up on Cornish farmland and airfields in October, typically wind-blown across the Atlantic.

Oct

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

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

Present year-round along Cornish estuaries and rocky shores, with numbers peaking during spring and autumn passage.

Year-round

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

A rare autumn passage wader seen in August and September, favouring freshwater pools and marshy edges at coastal sites.

Aug–Sep

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