The known breeding distribution of the Purple Sandpiper is patchy across the eastern Low Arctic and the High Arctic islands. Purple Sandpipers wintering on the Atlantic coast of Canada and the United States have shown little change in abundance relative to about 1970, according to results from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). However, the fraction of the Canadian population wintering in North America, and monitored by the CBC, is unknown. Thus, the reliability of this assessment is considered low. Information from Maine suggests declines in the local population since 2004. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The potential connectivity between breeding and wintering populations, including migrations between Canada and Europe, is complex and remains somewhat unclear (Summers et al. 2014, LeBlanc et al. 2017). While wintering in both Europe and North America, the species uses rocky coastal habitats in areas of significant oil development (Smith and Bleakney 1969). An expanding industry to harvest rockweed in the Northeast United States may also degrade the foraging habitats of wintering birds (Payne and Pierce 2002). Recent surveys to quantify abundance and distribution throughout Atlantic North America (e.g., Mittelhauser et al. 2013, J. Paquet ECCC, unpublished data) should help to clarify any potential regional threats faced by Purple Sandpipers in winter.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.