Sandpipers & Snipes in Wales
Our list for Wales has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors, 7 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Wales in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentUncommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–May
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Jun
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantRare19–21 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Nov
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly May–Sep
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Stint 13–15 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
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 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
- 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