Purple Sandpipers feeding
Shore Birds
Figure 2 - Purple Sandpipers feeding
These sure footed birds walk about on slippery, wave splashed rocks probing for crustaceans, mollusks, amphipods, insects, fly larvae, and algae. Along the Atlantic coast, these birds winter farther north than any other shorebird.
Notice how their dark plumage blends well with their rocky environment. Purple Sandpipers are rarely seen on sandy beaches unless rocky habitat is close by.
The Sanderling prefers open sandy beaches, and is a worldwide, cosmopolitan globe trotter. These birds breed in high Arctic regions, migrate south along the coasts and interior regions of continents to southern South America, the Mediterranean, Burma, China, South Africa, and Australia.
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