Sandpipers & Snipes in South Carolina
Our list for South Carolina has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 2 summer visitors, 6 winter visitors, 8 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Carolina in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
WilletTringa semipalmataResidentCommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentUncommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesResidentUncommon23–27 cmRecorded all year
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusResidentUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorUncommon40–50 cmRecorded all year
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorRare27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Jun–Oct
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaScarceRare37–41 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
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 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
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 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