Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Sandpipers, Snipes

Sandpipers are a diverse group of wading birds belonging to the family Scolopacidae, which also includes curlews and snipe. They exhibit a range of body sizes and bill shapes adapted to various ecological niches, typically consuming small invertebrates in coastal habitats. With body lengths ranging from 12 to 66 cm, they have sensitive, slender bills that vary in length, helping them locate prey beneath the mud or soil. Sandpipers are generally drab in color, with brown, grey, or streaked patterns, although some may become more colorful during breeding. These birds are mostly found across the Northern Hemisphere and are known for their open-area nesting habits and simple ground scrapes as nests where they lay three to four eggs. The young are self-sufficient shortly after hatching. The family was first scientifically described in 1815, encompasses around 98 species, and includes various genera such as Bartramia, Numenius, and Calidris. Most sandpipers evolved during the Oligocene to Miocene epochs, with a scarce fossil record from earlier times. Their foraging behavior is tactile, with some species exhibiting unique feeding styles such as probing mud or chasing aquatic prey. During breeding, strategies vary from monogamous pairs to more complex arrangements that may include polyandry and lek mating systems. Sandpipers' non-breeding distributions are widespread, including regions outside of the extreme deserts and Antarctica.

Regions

A photo of a Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii
A photo of a Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) , male

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica
A photo of a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa
A photo of a Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus)

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Calidris falcinellus
A photo of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollis
A photo of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos
A photo of a Curlew (Numenius arquata) , male

Curlew

Numenius arquata
A photo of a Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea
A photo of a Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

Dunlin

Calidris alpina
A photo of a Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca
A photo of a Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

Great Knot

Calidris tenuirostris
A photo of a Great Snipe (Gallinago media)

Great Snipe

Gallinago media
A photo of a Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus
A photo of a Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Greenshank

Tringa nebularia
A photo of a Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)

Grey Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicarius
A photo of a Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimus
A photo of a Knot (Calidris canutus)

Knot

Calidris canutus
A photo of a Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes
A photo of a Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Little Stint

Calidris minuta
A photo of a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus
A photo of a Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)

Long-toed Stint

Calidris subminuta
A photo of a Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis
A photo of a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos
A photo of a Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura)

Pin-tailed Snipe

Gallinago stenura
A photo of a Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima
A photo of a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus
A photo of a Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Red-necked Stint

Calidris ruficollis
A photo of a Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Redshank

Tringa totanus
A photo of a Ruff (Calidris pugnax) , male

Ruff

Calidris pugnax
A photo of a Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Sanderling

Calidris alba
A photo of a Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla
A photo of a Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

Slender-billed Curlew

Numenius tenuirostris
A photo of a Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago
A photo of a Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus
A photo of a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius
A photo of a Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus
A photo of a Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii
A photo of a Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

Terek Sandpiper

Xenus cinereus
A photo of a Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Turnstone

Arenaria interpres
A photo of a Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicauda
A photo of a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus
A photo of a White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis
A photo of a Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor
A photo of a Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)

Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola
A photo of a Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareola
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.
1
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Species Categories

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.