Sandpipers & Snipes in Iowa
Our list for Iowa has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 3 summer visitors, 19 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Iowa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantCommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantCommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly May–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorUncommon28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Apr–May
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaPassage migrantRare40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantRare21–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusScarceRare20–22 cm
RuffCalidris pugnaxScarceRare20–32 cmRegularly Apr
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
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Solitary 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
- 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