I have never given much thought to the name, Purple Sandpiper. I guess I figured like the name White Oak or White Pine, it didn’t make much sense. None of the Purple Sandpipers I had photographed in the past showed any signs of purple.
Purple?
Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper; Calidris maritima; NJ, Barnegat Light
Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper; Calidris maritima; NJ, Barnegat Light
Purple Sandpiper
Do you see any purple in these three photos (above)?
My Sibley guide and old Peterson guide don’t mention anything about purple coloration. So, where did it get its name?
Finally, I have figured it out. Here is a recent photo that let me in on the secret.
Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper close-up of feathers
Mystery solved!
When it comes to names, this is on par with Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Purple Sandpipers breed in the Canadian Arctic and winter along the Atlantic Coast on rocky shores in the North and on rock jetties farther south.