Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
Species: C. maritima
Binomial name
Calidris maritima
Brünnich, 1764
Synonyms

Erolia maritima

The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris, Arquatella or Erolia maritima is a small shorebird.

Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black. They measure 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in) in length and 42–46 cm (17–18 in) across the wings, and weight is from 50–105 g (1.8–3.7 oz).[2]

Their breeding habitat is the northern tundra on Arctic islands in Canada and coastal areas in Greenland and northwestern Europe. They nest on the ground either elevated on rocks or in lower damp location. The males makes several scrapes; the female choose one and lays 3 or 4 eggs. The male takes the major responsibility for incubation and tends the chicks. The young feed themselves.

In Britain, these birds occur in winter in good numbers principally along the east and south coasts, where they favour rocky shorelines adjacent to the sea. It is much rarer as a breeding bird, found only in a localised area of the Cairngorms National Park, where 1-3 pairs have bred since the 1970s. Records of breeding by this species in the UK are monitored and archived by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel.

They are late migrants and move to rocky ice-free Atlantic coasts in winter. most go no further south than North Carolina and northern Portugal. They are fairly gregarious, forming small flocks, often with Ruddy Turnstones. This species is tame and approachable.

These birds forage on rocky coasts, picking up food by sight. They mainly eat arthropods and mollusks, also some plant material.

The Purple Sandpiper is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

An apparent case of hybridization between this species and the Dunlin has been reported from England (Millington, 1994).

Gallery illustrating various views and plumages

  • Winter adult at Lowestoft, UK

  • Northumerland June 2008

See also

BTO BirdFacts Purple Sandpiper facts on BTO BirdFacts

References

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Calidris maritima. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
  2. ^ [1] (2011).

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Purple sandpiper — Purple Pur ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe. [1913 Webster] 2. Imperial; regal; so called from the color having been an …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • purple sandpiper — noun : a sandpiper (Erolia maritima) of the coasts of northern Europe and northeastern America that has the upper parts in winter purplish black and the underparts white * * * a sandpiper, Calidris maritima, of arctic regions of the New and Old… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Purple Sandpiper — jūrinis bėgikas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Calidris maritima angl. Purple Sandpiper vok. Meerstrandläufer …   Paukščių anatomijos terminai

  • purple sandpiper — jūrinis bėgikas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Arquatella maritima; Calidris maritima angl. purple sandpiper vok. Meerstrandläufer, m rus. морской песочник, m pranc. bécasseau violet, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • purple sandpiper — a sandpiper, Calidris maritima, of arctic regions of the New and Old World, having in winter a slate gray back with purplish reflections. [1815 25] * * * …   Universalium

  • purple sandpiper — noun a type of sandpiper, calidris maritima …   Wiktionary

  • Purple — Pur ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe. [1913 Webster] 2. Imperial; regal; so called from the color having been an emblem …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Purple bird — Purple Pur ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe. [1913 Webster] 2. Imperial; regal; so called from the color having been an …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Purple copper ore — Purple Pur ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe. [1913 Webster] 2. Imperial; regal; so called from the color having been an …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Purple grackle — Purple Pur ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe. [1913 Webster] 2. Imperial; regal; so called from the color having been an …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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