Things With Wings

UK wildlife photography community at thingswithwings.uk — loading the latest sightings…

Purple Sandpiper · Field Guide · Things With Wings

🐦

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Not yet photographed by the community

Dark wader of rocky shorelines; purple gloss in plumage.

Species Profile

Green List (UK); Least Concern (IUCN)

Lifespan: 15–20 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 19–21 cm, wingspan 32–35 cm; 40–50 g
Habitat: Rocky coastlines, breakwaters, and wave-exposed shores where they forage among kelp and algae-covered rocks.
UK Distribution: Winter visitor and passage migrant found mainly on northern and western coasts, particularly Scotland, Wales, and northern England; small numbers breed in the Scottish Highlands.
Diet: Small invertebrates including amphipods, isopods, small molluscs, and insect larvae picked from rocks and seaweed.
Prey: Amphipods, isopods, chironomid larvae, small crustaceans
Predators: Peregrine falcons, merlins, and occasionally great black-backed gulls
Mating Season: May to July
Breeding: Clutch of 4 eggs, incubation period 21–22 days, single brood; chicks fledge at 18–20 days
Behaviour: Purple sandpipers are highly sedentary on their chosen stretches of shore, often remaining faithful to the same wintering sites year after year. They are remarkably tame and reluctant to fly, preferring to shuffle among rocks to escape disturbance. They are typically solitary or in small loose flocks, often associating with turnstones.

Sources and editorial status

The short identification summary comes from the Things With Wings species catalogue. The extended species profile is AI-assisted and has not been individually reviewed by a wildlife expert, so verify important identification or conservation details with the specialist sources below.

Profile generated 24 June 2026

Spotted an error? Tell us so it can be corrected.

🐦

No photos yet

Be the first to photograph a Purple Sandpiper and share it with the community.