Sandpipers & Snipes in Colorado
Our list for Colorado has 25 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 4 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor and 17 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Colorado in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 25, most common first
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantCommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Nov
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaSummer visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorRare16–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Jun
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantRare40–46 cmRegularly Apr–May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantRare23–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly May
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusResidentRare20–22 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Baird's Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- White-rumped Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Red-necked Phalarope 18–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Grey Phalarope 20–22 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Wilson's Phalarope 22–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 cm
- Upland Sandpiper 28–32 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Willet 33–41 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