Purple Sandpiper
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Calidris maritima
Scarce Winter visitors of 25,000 birds in Britain & Ireland between August-April.
Breeds in Iceland, Norway, Sweden & North America.
Also winters south to Southern Europe & the Southern USA.
Birds in Summer plumage are a rare sight in Britain.
Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base.
The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath.
The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black.
1st Winters have white scalloped wing markings along the side of the back.
In Summer the plumage is brownish in colour.
They have a white wingbar in flight.
It's only under the right light conditons, that this species looks at all purple.