Sandpipers & Snipes in Herefordshire

10 species matching this filter.

All birds in HerefordshireView family page

Herefordshire's river valleys, wet meadows and marshy margins provide important habitat for 10 recorded species of sandpipers and snipes. The county's waterways, including the River Wye and River Lugg, attract passage waders such as Green Sandpiper and Greenshank, while the Curlew remains an iconic but declining breeding bird of the upland fringes. Scarcer visitors like the Red-necked Phalarope and Black-tailed Godwit add excitement for keen birdwatchers during migration periods.

Dunlin
DunlinSmallest · 16cm
to
Curlew
CurlewLargest · 60cm
Ranges from the Dunlin (16cm) to the Curlew (60cm)1 year-round resident
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

A rare passage migrant seen briefly in April and September on flooded meadows and pools in the Wye and Lugg valleys.

Apr–Sep

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

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

An uncommon breeding visitor along the River Wye and its tributaries, bobbing on rocks from April to October.

Apr–Oct

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

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

An uncommon non-breeding visitor to wet meadows and marshy fields, present from autumn to spring. Often flushed from ditches.

Sep–Apr

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

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

A rare passage bird in spring, once more widespread as a breeder. Declining nationally, now mainly seen passing through.

Feb–Apr

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

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

A rare passage migrant glimpsed at reservoir margins and muddy scrapes in July and September during autumn migration.

Jul–Sep

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

A rare passage visitor in winter months, flushed from damp woodland floors and hedgerows in January and March.

Jan–Mar

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

An uncommon resident found along streams and muddy pool edges. Often solitary and easily overlooked, bobbing nervously before flying off.

Jun–Apr

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

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

A rare but regular autumn passage wader, pausing at reservoirs and pools from July to October on its way south.

Jul–Oct

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

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Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

An exceptionally rare autumn passage visitor, with September records. A remarkable find on any Herefordshire pool or reservoir.

Sep

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

A rare autumn passage wader, occasionally stopping at muddy pool margins in August and September on its southward migration.

Aug–Sep

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

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