Sandpipers & Snipes in Dorset
Our list for Dorset has 23 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors and 6 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Dorset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–May
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly May–Sep
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Oct
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 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
- 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