Purple Sandpiper Photo Gallery

Stocky, short-legged sandpiper with a dropping bill that is yellow at the base. Slate gray above with grayish spotting on the breast.

Its short legs and round belly often make it look like it's squatting. Purplish sheen only visible at close range.

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.

Breeding birds are heavily spotted below with whitish edging on the wings. The bill is yellowish at the base and slightly curved.

Plump shorebird with short, yellow legs found foraging along rocky shorelines.

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