Sandpipers & Snipes in California
Our list for California has 28 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 2 summer visitors, 10 winter visitors and 11 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in California in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantCommon18–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May
WilletTringa semipalmataResidentCommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentCommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaResidentUncommon40–50 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Sep–May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRecorded all year
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorRare20–32 cmRegularly Jul–Mar
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Wilson's Phalarope 22–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Willet 33–41 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 cm
- Hudsonian Godwit 36–42 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Marbled Godwit 40–50 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