The biometrics and wintering area of Icelandic Purple Sandpipers

Abstract

An understanding of the dispersion and migrations of different populations of Purple Sandpipers is being achieved through comparisons of their biometrics, and sightings and recoveries of marked birds. Icelandic breeding Purple Sandpipers were captured in order to describe the biometrics of this population. Measurements were compared with British wintering birds in an attempt to establish whether Icelandic Purple Sandpipers form one of the components of the British wintering population. Although bill lengths were similar to the “long‐billed” British birds, wing and foot lengths were not; being longer in the Icelandic population. It is therefore concluded that Icelandic Purple Sandpipers do not migrate to Britain. Sightings in winter in north Iceland of birds colour‐marked in Iceland whilst breeding or as chicks show that some, at least, are resident.