Sandpipers & Snipes in Argyll and Bute
Our list for Argyll and Bute has 18 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 4 residents, 3 summer visitors, 6 winter visitors, 3 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Argyll and Bute in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 18, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Jan
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosScarceUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Sep
RuffCalidris pugnaxScarceRare20–32 cmRegularly Jun
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Redshank 27–29 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