Sandpipers & Snipes in Montana
Our list for Montana has 25 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 6 summer visitors, 15 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Montana in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 25, most common first
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantCommon29–40 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantCommon19–23 cmRegularly May–Sep
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly May–Nov
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaSummer visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorUncommon28–32 cmRegularly May–Aug
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly May–Sep
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Oct
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantRare23–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantRare16–22 cmRegularly Sep–May
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Jun
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusResidentRare20–22 cmRegularly Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentRare40–46 cmRegularly Apr–May
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Apr–Jul
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentRare21–24 cmRegularly May–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
- 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