Sandpipers & Snipes in Washington
Our list for Washington has 26 sandpipers & snipes recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 2 summer visitors, 7 winter visitors and 16 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Washington in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantCommon14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentCommon29–40 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Sep–May
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorUncommon40–50 cmRegularly Jul–May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Jul–May
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly May–Nov
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly May–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
- 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
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Solitary 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
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Long-billed Dowitcher 27–30 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