Purple Sandpiper
Nonbreeding adult
Stocky, short-legged sandpiper with a dropping bill that is yellow at the base. Slate gray above with grayish spotting on the breast.
© Evan Lipton | Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, February 14, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Its short legs and round belly often make it look like it's squatting. Purplish sheen only visible at close range.
© Christoph Moning | Macaulay LibraryFinnmark, April 05, 2011Nonbreeding adult
Forages in the rocky intertidal zone, quickly picking up aquatic invertebrates at low tides before the rocks get covered as the tide comes back in.
© Tom Johnson | Macaulay LibraryNew JerseyNot all videos have soundAdult
Often flies short distances low over the water in tight groups.
© Brian Sullivan | Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, December 19, 2003Nonbreeding adult
Plump shorebird with short, yellow legs found foraging along rocky shorelines.
© Evan Lipton | Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, December 30, 2016Breeding adult
Breeding birds are heavily spotted below with whitish edging on the wings. The bill is yellowish at the base and slightly curved.
© Ryan Terrill | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 12, 2012