Sandpipers & Snipes in Rhode Island
Our list for Rhode Island has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 8 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 12 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Rhode Island in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorCommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaSummer visitorCommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly May–Mar
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorCommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Nov
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly May–Oct
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaPassage migrantUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusResidentRare27–30 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusScarceRare20–22 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Baird's 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
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 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