top of page

World Shorebirds Day is following the IOC taxonomic list for the shorebirds of the world. According to the IOC, the list below represents the best current knowledge of shorebird classification and taxonomy. 

Reference:

Gill, F & D Donsker (Eds). 2019. IOC World Bird List (v9.2). doi :  10.14344/IOC.ML.9.2. (Last accessed: 20/09/2019

List of Shorebirds

Buttonquails

Turnicidae

Common Buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus

Red-backed Buttonquail Turnix maculosus

Hottentot Buttonquail Turnix hottentottus

Black-rumped Buttonquail Turnix nanus

Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki

Spotted Buttonquail Turnix ocellatus

Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator

Madagascan Buttonquail Turnix nigricollis

Black-breasted Buttonquail Turnix melanogaster

Chestnut-backed Buttonquail Turnix castanotus

Buff-breasted Buttonquail Turnix olivii

Painted Buttonquail Turnix varius

Worcester's Buttonquail Turnix worcesteri

Sumba Buttonquail Turnix everetti

Red-chested Buttonquail Turnix pyrrhothorax

Little Buttonquail Turnix velox

Quail-plover Ortyxelos meiffrenii

Stone-curlews &

Thick-knees

Burhinidae

Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

Indian Stone-curlew Burhinus indicus

Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis

Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus

Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis​

Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus

Peruvian Thick-knee Burhinus superciliaris

Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius

Great Stone-curlew Esacus recurvirostris

Beach Stone-curlew Esacus magnirostris

Sheathbills

Chionidae

Snowy Sheathbill Chionis albus

Black-faced Sheathbill Chionis minor

Magellanic Plover

Pluvianellidae

Magellanic Plover Pluvianellus socialis

Oystercatchers
Haematopodidae

Magellanic Oystercatcher Haematopus leucopodus

Blackish Oystercatcher Haematopus ater

Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani

American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus

African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

South Island Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi

Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris

Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor

Chatham Oystercatcher Haematopus chathamensis

Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus

Crab-plover
Dromadidae

Crab-plover Dromas ardeola

Ibisbill
Ibidorhynchidae

Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii

Stilts & Avocet
Recurvirostridae

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus

Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus

White-backed Stilt Himantopus melanurus

Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae

Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

American Avocet Recurvirostra americana

Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae

Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Long-toed Lapwing Vanellus crassirostris

Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus

Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus

River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii

Black-headed Lapwing Vanellus tectus

Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus

White-crowned Lapwing Vanellus albiceps

Senegal Lapwing Vanellus lugubris

Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus

Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus

African Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus

Spot-breasted Lapwing Vanellus melanocephalus

Brown-chested Lapwing Vanellus superciliosus

Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor

Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles

Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius

White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus

Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis

Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens

Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus

Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis

Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis

European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

New Zealand Plover Charadrius obscurus

Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus

Piping Plover Charadrius melodus

Madagascan Plover Charadrius thoracicus

Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius

St. Helena Plover Charadrius sanctaehelenae

Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris

Forbes's Plover Charadrius forbesi

White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus

Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus

Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus

Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii

Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus

Collared Plover Charadrius collaris

Puna Plover Charadrius alticola

Two-banded Plover Charadrius falklandicus

Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus

Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii

Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus

Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus

Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus

Rufous-chested Plover Charadrius modestus

Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus

Hooded Dotterel Thinornis cucullatus

Shore Dotterel Thinornis novaeseelandiae

Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops

Tawny-throated Dotterel Oreopholus ruficollis

Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Phegornis mitchellii

Pied Plover Hoploxypterus cayanus

Egyptian Plover
Pluvianidae

Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius

Painted-snipes
Rostratulidae

Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis

Australian Painted-snipe Rostratula australis

South American Painted-snipe Nycticryphes semicollaris

Jacanas
Jacanidae

Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis

African Jacana Actophilornis africanus

Madagascan Jacana Actophilornis albinucha

Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea

Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus

Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa

Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana

Plains-wanderer
Pedionomidae

Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus

Seedsnipes
Thinocoridae

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe Attagis gayi

White-bellied Seedsnipe Attagis malouinus

Grey-breasted Seedsnipe Thinocorus orbignyianus

Least Seedsnipe Thinocorus rumicivorus

Sandpipers, Snipes
Scolopacidae

Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda

Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Little Curlew Numenius minutus

Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus

Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis

Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica

Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala

Tuamotu Sandpiper Prosobonia parvirostris

Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris

Red Knot Calidris canutus

Surfbird Calidris virgata

Ruff Calidris pugnax

Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata

Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta

Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea

Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis

Sanderling Calidris alba

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii

Little Stint Calidris minuta

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla

Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri

Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola

Amami Woodcock Scolopax mira

Javan Woodcock Scolopax saturata

New Guinea Woodcock Scolopax rosenbergii

Bukidnon Woodcock Scolopax bukidnonensis

Sulawesi Woodcock Scolopax celebensis

Moluccan Woodcock Scolopax rochussenii

American Woodcock Scolopax minor

Chatham Snipe Coenocorypha pusilla

Snares Snipe Coenocorypha huegeli

Subantarctic Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica

Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus

Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria

Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii

Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola

Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura

Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala

African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis

Madagascan Snipe Gallinago macrodactyla

Great Snipe Gallinago media

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata

South American Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae

Puna Snipe Gallinago andina

Noble Snipe Gallinago nobilis

Giant Snipe Gallinago undulata

Fuegian Snipe Gallinago stricklandii

Jameson's Snipe Gallinago jamesoni

Imperial Snipe Gallinago imperialis

Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus

Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus

Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria

Wandering Tattler Tringa incana

Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

Willet Tringa semipalmata

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Nordmann's Greenshank Tringa guttifer

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca

Coursers, Pratincoles
Glareolidae

Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor

Somali Courser Cursorius somalensis

Burchell's Courser Cursorius rufus

Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii

Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus

Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus

Three-banded Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus

Bronze-winged Courser Rhinoptilus chalcopterus

Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus

Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni

Madagascan Pratincole Glareola ocularis

Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis

Grey Pratincole Glareola cinerea

Small Pratincole Glareola lactea

Special thanks to all the photographers who offered the use of their photos at no cost. Should you have a great photo of any species from the non-illustrated shorebird families, please don't hesitate to send us an email.

©2024 by Gyorgy Szimuly. Created with Wix.com

bottom of page