Sandpipers & Snipes in Edinburgh
Our list for Edinburgh has 15 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 1 summer visitor, 7 winter visitors, 4 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Edinburgh in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 15, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jan
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusScarceRare17–19 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 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