Sandpipers & Snipes in Essex
Our list for Essex has 22 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 3 summer visitors, 9 winter visitors and 5 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Essex in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 22, most common first
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly May–Sep
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusSummer visitorUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Jan–Nov
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorRare33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorRare17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 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