Sandpipers & Snipes in Scotland
Our list for Scotland has 29 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 5 summer visitors, 8 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Scotland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 29, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorUncommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantRare19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusResidentRare29–31 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 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