Sandpipers & Snipes in United Kingdom
25 species matching this filter.
The United Kingdom hosts 25 species from the Sandpipers & Snipes family, making it one of Europe's most important regions for these wading birds. From the haunting call of the Curlew across upland moors to the elusive Eurasian Woodcock skulking in woodland, these species occupy a remarkable range of habitats including estuaries, mudflats, marshes, and moorland. Notable species such as the Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, and Common Snipe can be observed in impressive numbers, particularly during migration and winter months.
Showing 1–23 of 25 species
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Found year-round on sandy estuaries and mudflats, with numbers peaking in winter. Large flocks gather at key sites like the Wash, probing the mud with their upturned bills.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Present year-round on estuaries and wet grasslands. The Icelandic subspecies winters in large numbers, while the breeding population remains very small.
Year-round
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Found along upland rivers and lake shores, bobbing its tail constantly. Breeds in the north and west, wintering more widely across lowland waters.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
A common resident of wet grasslands and marshes, often detected by its distinctive 'drumming' display flight over moorland in spring.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common but declining resident of upland moors and farmland. Winters on estuaries and coasts, where its evocative call is iconic.
Year-round
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
An uncommon passage wader seen mainly on coastal mudflats and estuaries from late summer into autumn. Most records come from eastern and southern England.
Apr–Nov
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A common wader found year-round on estuaries and mudflats. Winter flocks swell with migrants from Scandinavia and Iceland.
Year-round
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A secretive resident of damp woodland floors, best seen during its 'roding' display flights at dusk in spring. Winter numbers swell with Continental immigrants.
Oct–Jul
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Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Found along streams, ditches and muddy pool edges year-round. A secretive wader that bobs constantly and flushes with a distinctive call.
Jun–Apr
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Breeds on Scottish bogs and moorland in summer, then disperses to estuaries and coastal marshes across Britain for the winter months.
Year-round
Grey Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicariusLC
A rare autumn and winter passage visitor, most often driven inshore by Atlantic storms. Typically seen at coastal headlands from August to December.
Aug–Dec
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A secretive winter visitor to boggy marshes and wet meadows, often flushing only at close range. Easily overlooked due to its cryptic plumage and solitary habits.
Sep–Apr
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A small wader found on coastal mudflats and freshwater margins, peaking in autumn passage. Most numerous along eastern and southern estuaries.
Year-round
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
A rare but annual Nearctic passage migrant, most frequently found at freshwater pools and coastal scrapes in autumn, particularly in south-west England and Ireland.
May–Oct
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
An uncommon wader favouring rocky shorelines and harbour walls, mainly in winter. A tiny number breed in the Scottish Highlands.
Jul–May
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Gathers in vast winter flocks on estuaries such as the Wash and Morecambe Bay. These Arctic breeders are a spectacular sight swirling over mudflats at high tide.
Year-round
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatusLC
A rare passage migrant with a tiny breeding population in northern Scotland. Most sightings occur at coastal pools and marshes during autumn migration.
May–Oct
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A common year-round wader of estuaries, saltmarshes and wet grasslands. The breeding population is declining, placing it on the amber list.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Found year-round on rocky shorelines and harbours, flipping stones and seaweed to find invertebrates. Numbers peak in winter with arrivals from Arctic breeding grounds.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
An uncommon wader found on coastal marshes and flooded fields, mainly as a passage migrant and winter visitor. Very few now breed in the UK.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A pale, energetic wader found on sandy beaches year-round, with numbers peaking in winter. Runs rapidly along the tideline chasing waves.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
An uncommon wader found on estuaries and coastal marshes, most numerous on autumn passage and in winter.
Year-round
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckiiLC
A rare passage migrant, most often seen at freshwater margins in spring and autumn. The majority of UK records come from eastern England.
May–Dec