Sandpipers & Snipes in Somerset
Our list for Somerset has 23 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors, 8 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Somerset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Jan
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Mar
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusPassage migrantUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosScarceUncommon19–23 cm
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusScarceRare20–22 cm
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorRare33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
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
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 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