Sandpipers & Snipes in Virginia
Our list for Virginia has 27 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 5 summer visitors, 5 winter visitors and 12 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Virginia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 27, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentUncommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Oct–May
WilletTringa semipalmataResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorRare14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisSummer visitorRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Nov
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantRare20–32 cmRegularly May–Aug
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
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
- 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