Sandpipers & Snipes in Shetland Islands
Our list for Shetland Islands has 23 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 5 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors and 8 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Shetland Islands in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–May
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorCommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusResidentRare29–31 cmRegularly May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Common Sandpiper 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
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Green Sandpiper 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