Sandpipers & Snipes in United States
Our list for United States has 30 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 9 residents, 12 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors and 5 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in United States in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 30, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentUncommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesSummer visitorUncommon23–27 cmRecorded all year
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WilletTringa semipalmataResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriSummer visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorUncommon18–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusResidentUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaResidentUncommon40–50 cmRecorded all year
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisSummer visitorRare15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–May
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
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
- Dunlin 16–22 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 17–22 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Curlew 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
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 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