Sandpipers & Snipes in South Dakota
Our list for South Dakota has 23 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 7 summer visitors, 13 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Dakota in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaSummer visitorCommon28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantCommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantCommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorCommon22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaSummer visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Apr–May
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Sep
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantRare23–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentRare21–24 cmRegularly May–Jun
Red KnotCalidris canutusScarceRare23–26 cm
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentRare40–46 cmRegularly May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 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
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 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