The Purple Sandpiper is a fascinating shorebird that breeds in the high Arctic and migrates south to rocky coastlines for the winter. With their distinctive purple-gray plumage and bright orange legs and bill, Purple Sandpipers make a memorable sight for birdwatchers. But with a range that spans from northern Canada and Alaska to the northeastern United States, where are the best locations to look for these charismatic birds? Let’s explore some top sites across North America to see Purple Sandpipers and learn about their natural history along the way.
What is a Purple Sandpiper?
The Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) is a medium-sized shorebird that is part of the large sandpiper group known as “peeps.” Adults have gray plumage on their head, breast, and back, with a purple iridescence that gives them their name. Their bellies are white. Their most striking features are their bright orange legs and bill. Purple Sandpipers measure around 7-9 inches in length and weigh 1.5-3.5 ounces.
Some key facts about the Purple Sandpiper:
– They breed in the high Arctic tundra, from northern Alaska across northern Canada. Their nests are well-hidden in rock crevices or dense vegetation.
– They winter along rocky intertidal zones of the North Atlantic coast, favoring areas with extensive wave-splashed rocks and rockweed. Major wintering sites include New England, Atlantic Canada, Iceland, Great Britain, and Scandinavia.
– On the Pacific coast, they are less common and limited to areas of Alaska and northern British Columbia.
– They feed on invertebrates like mollusks, crustaceans, and marine worms, which they pick off of rocks along the shoreline.
– They are sociable birds, usually seen in small flocks.
– While not considered threatened, some Purple Sandpiper populations have declined in areas with increased human disturbance. Climate change impacts on Arctic breeding grounds may also be a future concern.
Best Locations to See Purple Sandpipers
Here are some top spots across North America to look for Purple Sandpipers during their wintering season from October to April:
Maritime Provinces, Canada
The Atlantic coast of Canada hosts significant numbers of wintering Purple Sandpipers each year. Prime areas include:
– Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland – This renowned seabird colony hasPsandpiper flocks along the cliffs and coves.
– Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia – This urban park at the tip of Halifax Peninsula gets regular Purple Sandpipers among its rocky coastline.
– Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Reserve, New Brunswick – Extensive mixed flocks of Purple Sandpipers, Dunlins, and Black-bellied Plovers gather on this preserve’s tidal flats and barrier beach.
New England, USA
– Acadia National Park, Maine – With its rugged shoreline, Acadia is one of the top sites for Purple Sandpipers in the eastern USA, particularly at Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, and Schoodic Peninsula.
– Nantucket Island, Massachusetts – Walk the north and east facing beaches of this scenic island to find Purple Sandpipers wintering among the rocks.
– Beavertail State Park, Rhode Island – This rocky peninsula at the mouth of Narragansett Bay harbors dozens of Purple Sandpipers in winter.
– Point Judith, Rhode Island – Check the rocky jetties and breakwaters around this busy harbor for Purple Sandpiper flocks.
Pacific Northwest, USA and Canada
Along the Pacific Coast, good spots to find small numbers of wintering Purple Sandpipers include:
– Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon – Scan this iconic 235-foot sea stack and surrounding offshore rocks for roosting sandpipers.
– Washington Park, Anacortes, Washington – Up to a dozen Purple Sandpipers may join flocks of Black Turnstones along the riprap here.
– Boundary Bay, British Columbia – The rocky dykes of this shorebird hotspot near Vancouver hosts occasional Purple Sandpipers.
Eastern Alaska, USA
Some locations to spot Purple Sandpipers in their Alaska winter range include:
– St. Paul Island – Part of the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, the rocky shores here host several hundred Purple Sandpipers each winter.
– Homer Spit, Alaska – Scan the driftwood and rocks of this famous spot for small groups of Purple Sandpipers.
– Seward, Alaska – Check the North and South Jetties and other riprap structures around the harbor.
Tips for Viewing Purple Sandpipers
Here are some useful tips for having the best chance of observing Purple Sandpipers:
– Time your visit for low tide when the most habitat will be exposed. Note tide tables for coastal sites.
– Look closely at flocks of small shorebirds – Purple Sandpipers often mix with Dunlins, Black Turnstones, and other “peeps.”
– Focus on rockier areas of the intertidal zone rather than sandy beaches. Shoreline riprap and jetties are also productive.
– A spotting scope or binoculars are essential to pick out identifying features like the orange legs and bill since Purple Sandpipers often keep some distance from shore.
– Be patient and allow flocks time to return if they flush or disappear behind large rocks.
– If photographing, wear weather-appropriate clothing and watch your footing on wet or icy rocks.
– Respect wildlife and keep your distance from flocks to limit disturbance. Consider leaving dogs at home.
Ideal Viewing Season
The best times to see Purple Sandpipers are during their wintering months from October through early April, before their migration back to Arctic breeding areas. Winter brings the highest concentrations to many coastal sites when birds group into flocks.
Peak months are typically December and January during the coldest weather and highest winter tides. By early April, flocks begin departing for the Arctic as ice breaks up and shorelines become snow-free.
Purple Sandpiper Migration
One of the world’s champion long-distance migrant shorebirds, Purple Sandpipers complete an astonishing round-trip migration each year between Arctic nest sites and wintering areas as far south as the northeastern USA and maritime Canada.
Here is the basic route Purple Sandpipers follow:
– Early Spring – Birds begin leaving Atlantic winter sites in March and April, flying north back to breeding areas. Pacific wintering birds migrate north through the interior of British Columbia and Alberta.
– Late Spring – From mid-May through June, Purple Sandpipers arrive on Arctic tundra nesting grounds above tree line in northern Canada and Alaska.
– Summer – Pairs mate, females lay 4 eggs in rock crevices or vegetation, and chicks hatch in early July. Adults tend the precocial young which feed themselves. By late August, chicks fledge.
– Early Fall – After breeding, Purple Sandpipers gather into large roosting flocks on northern coastal areas and begin moving south on their transoceanic journey back to winter sites.
– Late Fall – From September through November, flocks funnel south along Atlantic Canada and the northeastern USA with the last arrivals in December. On the Pacific, they follow the Alaska coast south into British Columbia for the winter.
Tracking studies have revealed just how far some Purple Sandpipers travel each year – up to 13,500 miles annually! These incredible journeys showcase the endurance and navigation abilities of this high Arctic specialist.
Habitat and Diet
The winter habitat preferences of Purple Sandpipers play a key role in where the birds occur along the coast. They are specialized to forage and roost in the dynamic intertidal zone between the high tide line and the water’s edge.
More specifically, Purple Sandpipers favor rocky coast areas with extensive wave-splashed rock surfaces, rocky reefs, offshore islets, and jetties or riprap shoreline structures. These areas have an abundance of their invertebrate prey between barnacles, in rock crevices, and among rockweed seaweed beds.
The Purple Sandpiper’s diet is specialized to this rocky zone niche. Using their short straight bill, they expertly pluck and probe out small invertebrates including:
– Mollusks – small mussels, limpets, snails
– Crustaceans – amphipods, isopods
– Marine worms
– Insects
– Occasionally small fish eggs or algae
This protein-rich diet allows Purple Sandpipers to maintain their energy balance through cold northern winters. Unlike many sandpipers, they rarely probe in mud or sand. Their preference for rocks gives them access to different prey than most shorebirds.
Appearance and Identification
Purple Sandpipers exhibit subtle but distinctive plumage in breeding and winter plumages:
Breeding Plumage
– Upperparts – Brownish-gray head, back, and upper wings with some chestnut mottling. Purple sheen is strongest.
– Underparts – Chin, throat, and chest gray. Belly white with some streaking.
– Bill – All dark orange.
– Legs – Bright orange.
Winter Plumage
– Upperparts – Gray overall with less purple sheen.
– Underparts – White with gray breast and speckling on flanks.
– Bill – Orage base fading to yellowish or flesh-toned towards tip.
– Legs – Duller yellow-orange.
The best clues to identify Purple Sandpipers in any plumage are:
– Medium shorebird with long wings and short tail.
– Stocky body on short yellow or orange legs.
– Obvious purple-gray cast to upperparts.
– Longish neck and small head.
– Bright orange or yellow-orange bill.
– Flocks on rocky coasts or jetties.
Their purple sheen is easiest to see at certain angles in good light. In poor light they can appear all dark gray, resembling a Dunlin. But structural differences and feeding behavior help separate the two species.
Juvenile Purple Sandpipers lack the purple gloss and have a scalier back pattern with buff feather edges. By their first winter they acquire the adult look.
Behavior and Nesting
Beyond their specialized feeding habits, Purple Sandpipers exhibit some other notable behaviors:
– Sociable – They spend most of their time in loose flocks, both to forage and roost at high tide. Groups may number from just a few birds up to 300.
– Vocal – Their most common call is a musical, rippling series of whistled “weeoo” notes. Flocks stay in contact with this call.
– Skittish – They tend to be easily flushed by humans or predators compared to some other shorebirds. But they may return to the same site after a short flight.
– High Arctic nesters – On remote tundra, nests are extremely well-hidden in dry rocky scree, cracks, or vegetation, often on high ridges or slopes.
– Loyal to breeding sites – Adults exhibit nest site fidelity, returning to the same locale year after year. Pairs reunite on territory.
– Hardy chicks – Like other sandpipers, the downy precocial chicks feed themselves after leaving the nest. They grow fast on abundant tundra insects.
– Roosting – At high tide when feeding areas are covered, flocks tightly pack together to roost on offshore rocks, jetties, or high tide wracks.
Conservation Status
The global breeding population of Purple Sandpipers is estimated at 270,000 to 470,000 pairs. Numbers appear to have declined somewhat from historic levels, though trends are poorly known overall.
Within North America, Partners in Flight estimates the breeding population in Alaska and Canada at 250,000 birds. Christmas Bird Count data suggests Purple Sandpiper numbers wintering in eastern North America declined around 3% per year from 1975 to 2015.
Threats to Purple Sandpipers include:
– Disturbance, predation, and habitat degradation from increasing Arctic resource development. Oil spills are a major risk.
– Increased human recreation pressures on rocky coastal winter habitat.
– Extreme weather events on Arctic and wintering grounds due to climate change.
– Changing prey availability with warming oceans and ecological shifts.
More protections for Arctic ecosystems and careful management of wintering sites with rocky shoreline habitats will benefit Purple Sandpipers into the future. Maintaining connectivity across their full migration range is also critical.
Where to See Purple Sandpipers in the UK and Iceland
Beyond North America, Purple Sandpipers winter along the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and the UK. Here are some prime spots in Iceland and Great Britain:
Iceland
– Ytri-Tunga Beach, Snaefellsness Peninsula – Scan rocky outcrops for roosting flocks.
– Faxa Bay, Reykjavik – Check the riprap breakwater and nearby rocky tidal flats.
– Latrabjarg Cliffs, Westfjords – Huge seabird cliffs that also host Purple Sandpipers.
Great Britain
– Hartlepool, Northeast England – Rocky harbor breakwaters hold 100s of sandpipers.
– Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire – Scan tall sea cliffs and offshore rocks for mixed flocks.
– Aberystwyth, Wales – Purple Sandpipers forage along the riprap sea wall.
– Musselburgh, Scotland – Part of the Firth of Forth, with sandpipers on jetties and groins.
Conclusion
For birders who enjoy coastal birding, seeing a flock of Purple Sandpipers in the surf is a memorable highlight. Their remote Arctic breeding range makes them a bit of a mystery for much of the year too. By watching the tides and scanning rocky habitats along the shore, observers can pinpoint these purple-hued shorebirds from New England to Nova Scotia, Alaska to Acadia, and beyond. Protecting the coasts and tundra ecosystems they depend on will ensure Purple Sandpipers continue to make their epic migrations across continents for years to come.