Sandpipers & Snipes in New York
Our list for New York has 27 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 8 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors and 15 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in New York in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 27, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaSummer visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly May–Feb
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Nov
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Jul–Jan
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRegularly May–Feb
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaPassage migrantRare40–50 cmRegularly May–Dec
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
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