Sandpipers & Snipes in Illinois
Our list for Illinois has 27 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 6 summer visitors, 19 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Illinois in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 27, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantCommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Oct
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaPassage migrantRare40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantRare20–32 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
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
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 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
- Ruff 20–32 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