Purple Sandpiper

While most shorebirds that use the New Hampshire coast occur during spring and fall migration, a handful also occur during the winter (e.g., November through April). Of these, the Purple Sandpiper has the northernmost range. Unlike most other shorebirds, this denizen of rocky shorelines migrates no further south than the Carolinas, and small numbers in southern Greenland winter farther north than any other sandpiper in the northwest Atlantic. When visiting us during their non-breeding season they are typically seen foraging on seaweed covered rocks just above the waterline, often dodging breaking waves. They roost on jetties and other rocky areas above the high tide line.

Purple Sandpipers are one of those birds with a less-than-appropriate English name. They can in fact show a purplish tinge to their otherwise grayish winter plumage, but this is rare and probably best seen when a bird is in the hand (as specimens no doubt were when the species was named). A far better field mark in the winter is the bright yellow-orange legs, which stand out more strongly than the feathers against dark rocks. When Purple Sandpipers flock together with Dunlin their leg color is one of the easiest ways to tell the two species apart in a quick scan. In spring they molt into a streaky brown plumage that is best seen in May as birds prepare to migrate north.

Although still common, Purple Sandpipers show signs of population decline. Reasons for the decline are poorly understood since the species shares few ecological characteristics with other declining shorebirds. It may be that as a northern species it is more susceptible to the effects of climate change, but more research is needed.