purple sandpiper

noun

a sandpiper, Calidris maritima, of Arctic regions of the New and Old World, having in winter a slate-gray back with purplish reflections.

Origin of purple sandpiper

First recorded in 1815–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Ludwig Kumlien says that the purple sandpiper is the first wader to arrive in the spring at Cumberland Sound.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2) | Arthur Cleveland Bent
But in Iceland and at the southern borders of its breeding range generally the purple sandpiper usually nests on the fells.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2) | Arthur Cleveland Bent
The eggs of the purple sandpiper are four in number and remarkably handsome.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2) | Arthur Cleveland Bent
The purple sandpiper is a stockily built bird, which stands low and has a moderately long bill.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2) | Arthur Cleveland Bent
The purple sandpiper may pair for life, as there is some evidence to show that it returns annually to certain spots, to breed.
British Sea Birds | Charles Dixon

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