Behaviour: Standing on the rocky coastline, the winter air pierces the skin as I scan the coastline with my binoculars. Camouflaged amongst the rocks is a small baseball-sized bird, probing the rocks and algae with its long slender bill. Trying to keep a respectful distance from the bird, the purple sandpiper instead walks up to me, too distracted with finding tasty morsels than my presence. In order to survive the harsh cold climate, purple sandpipers constantly forage for food, more so than most birds. Relying on the energy from their food, the purple sandpiper needs to constantly keep eating in order to keep their little bodies warm. As he walks closer, the backs of his wings become more apparent, light from the sun reflects a light purple hue, giving them their name. I can’t help but smile as I observe the small ball of fluff hop around the rocks looking for food, such an adorable animal and rather rare as well. Only in winter can these birds be found so far south and inland. In summer, they spend their time in Greenland and Nunavut before migrating south to the east coast of North America when temperatures drop. Every year a few manage to find their way to the Great Lakes like this little individual. As human caused climate change persists however, the range of these birds will be greatly reduced and changes to their migration will cause experiences like this to be a thing of the past.
Sources:
"Purple Sandpiper Identification." All About Birds, The Cornell Lab, 2023, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Sandpiper/id. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023. "Purple Sandpiper Range Map." All About Birds, The Cornell Lab, 2023, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Sandpiper/maps-range. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023. "Purple Sandpiper." IUCN Red List, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 2023, www.iucnredlist.org/species/22693420/131929424#threats. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023. Summers, Ron W., et al. "How do Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima Survive the Winter North of the Arctic Circle?" Avibirds, edited by Leo Zwarts, Ardea, 1998, avibirds.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/paarse-strandloper1.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023. |