Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)Where and when to see it in the UK
Winter visitor · reporting peaks January · Sandpipers and Allies · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Purple Sandpiper has been recorded in 511 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (17%) in records to 2026. Winter visitor in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in January.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 22% or more of visits
- High
- 7% to 22%
- Moderate
- 2% to 7%
- Low
- under 2%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 89% | 1% | Very high |
| February | 78% | 1% | Very high |
| March | 55% | <1% | Very high |
| April | 38% | <1% | Moderate |
| May | 12% | <1% | Very high |
| June | 1% | <1% | Low |
| July | 3% | <1% | Very high |
| August | 14% | <1% | Low |
| September | 35% | <1% | Low |
| October | 63% | <1% | Moderate |
| November | 100% | 2% | Very high |
| December | 79% | 1% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D04 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J33 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J48 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J57 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J67 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NJ05 | Moray, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NJ91 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NM54 | Argyll and Bute, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NX19 | South Ayrshire, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NX33 | Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland | 100% | Very high |