Sergey Dereliev

The species breeds in mid- and high Arctic tundra – coastal and upland areas, nesting near fringe of frozen ground. Outside breeding season it mainly occurs on exposed, rocky shorelines often covered with intertidal seaweed, algae and kelp (Payne & Pierce 2020). High-arctic species – its global range extends from the E Canadian Arctic via Greenland and Iceland to Taymyr Peninsula. European strongholds are in Iceland, Scandinavia, Svalbard and Franz Josef Land (Keller et al. 2020).

Intra-European migrant, moving to ice-free coasts in N, NW and W Europe in winter.

Its population trend in Europe is unknown. Evaluated as “Least Concern” (BirdLife Internatinal 2022).

Season of assessment

W

Population trendUnknown
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		179000-196000,185000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Purple Sandpiper

The species shows varying degrees of migratory tendency among populations – mostly migratory, some are partially migratory or even resident (Payne & Pierce 2020).

Birds breeding in Svalbard are encountered during migration and winter mostly along the coasts of Fennoscandia, British Isles and W Europe. S Norwegian breeders and migrants passing through S Sweden take SW routes mainly to the E coasts of the British Isles, some disperse to W Europe. Some birds breeding on Severnaya Zemlya Is are encountered wintering in N Norway. Icelandic population is considered mainly resident (Summers 1994), but Iceland is a stop-over site for birds encountered wintering in the British Isles, as well as W & SW Europe (Netherlands, Spain), S Greenland & Newfoundland. The UK-marked birds encountered in S Greenland are possibly Canadian breeders (Lyngs 2003, Delany et al. 2009).

Recoveries by Condition for Purple Sandpiper

Most encounters are obtained after late 2000s, throughout the year but peaking in Jun – 32% (mainly adults and after first year birds). Majority of encounters are recorded in Svalbard, NW & N Europe – 61, 18 and 14% respectively. There are very few encounters prior to 1960 (4 cases only, 3 of them based on shot birds).

The majority of encounters after 1960 are from alive birds – 90% for the period 1961-90 and 99% after 1991, which is mostly due to ringing recoveries and colour mark records. Shooting was responsible for just 3% of all encounters during 1961-90 and for less than 1% of all cases after 1991.

Annual Movements for Purple Sandpiper

Post-breeding movements start late Jun-Jul, females usually precede males and adults being ahead of juveniles (Payne & Pierce 2020). Autumn migration is most evident Aug-Oct in N latitudes and Sep-Nov in lower latitudes. Svalbard breeders reach their wintering grounds in the Baltic region and W Europe as early as Sep, mostly in Oct-Nov. Birds breeding in S Norway are encountered in UK in Aug at earliest. The passage birds marked in Iceland (mostly in May) are encountered wintering in the British Isles and W Europe Nov-Mar, in Newfoundland in Dec and in S Greenland – in Oct. Spring migration takes place mostly Apr-May, adults leaving before immatures (Dierschke 2004). The northernmost breeding sites are occupied from late May to mid-Jun (Payne & Pierce 2020).

Tracked birds wintering in NE Scotland revealed their origin in NE Canada (Summers et al. 2014).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Purple Sandpiper

The species has been suggested to perform leap-frog migration in Canadian Arctic/ Greenland, and chain migration in N Europe – the Svalbard and Norwegian breeders move S and are replaced by more northerly population (Russian & Svalbard birds respectively) (Summers 1994). All populations breeding in Scandinavia, NE Europe & W Siberia winter in N & W Europe (Delany et al. 2009), while part of the Canadian breeders – possibly in NW & W Europe (Corse & Summers 1999, Hallgrimsson et al. 2012).

Depending on latitudes, autumn migration takes place between mid- to late summer and mid- to late autumn. Svalbard & N European breeders occupy their wintering grounds in N & W Europe mostly between mid-autumn and mid- to late spring. A bird marked in NW Russia (Murmansk region) was encountered during winter inland Europe (N Serbia). Return migration is evident mostly mid- to late spring.

Boris Nikolov

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
2009 . An Atlas of Wader Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The NetherlandsEditor(s): Delany, S., Scott, D., Dodman, T. & Stroud, D.
2020 . European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, BarcelonaEditor(s): Keller, V., S. Herrando, P. Voříšek, et al.
BirdLife International 2022 . Species factsheet: Calidris maritima. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 15/01/2022
Corse, C.J., Summers, R.W. 1999 . The seasonal pattern of numbers, population structure and migration of Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima in Orkney. Ringing & Migration 19: 275–282
Dierschke, V. 2004 . Differential departure of wintering adult and first-year Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima from Helgoland (south-east North Sea). Wader Study Group Bull. 105: 84–86
Hallgrimsson, G.T., Summers, R.W., Etheridge, B. & Swann, R.L. 2012 . The winter range of Nearctic Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima on the East Atlantic flyway. Ardea 100: 13–18
Lyngs, P. 2003 . Migration and winter ranges of birds in Greenland. An analysis of ringing recoveries. Danish Ornithological Society/BirdLife Denmark, Copenhagen
Payne, L. X. and E. P. Pierce 2020 . Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), version 1.0. In Birds of the World Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pursan.01) Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
Summers, R. W. 1994 . The migration patterns of the Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima. Ostrich 65: 167–173
Summers, R.W., Boland, H., Colhoun, K., Elkins, N., Etheridge, B., Foster, S., Fox, J.W., Mackie, K., Quinn L.R., Swann, R.L. 2014 . Contrasting trans-Atlantic migratory routes of Nearctic Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima associated with low pressure systems in spring and winter. Ardea 102: 139–152

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