Purple Sandpiper

20-23 cm (8-9") Fairly common but restricted to rocky shores. Arctic shores in summer, winters on East coast rocky coastlines, piers, jetties.

Dark Robin-sized sandpiper.

Winter: junco-like colored - dark slate-gray upperparts, head, throat with white belly; white eye-ring; short yellow-orange legs; long, slender, slightly downturned bill with an orange-yellow base.

Summer: more brownish.

Often very tame.

Song: "twit" or "weet-wit".