Few birds are as closely associated with the High Arctic as the Purple Sandpiper. Found along the rocky coastlines of Svalbard, Greenland and Arctic Canada, this hardy shorebird spends its life in some of the world's harshest environments, where glaciers meet the sea and winter storms batter exposed coastlines.

Despite its name, the Purple Sandpiper is not obviously purple. At first glance it appears dark grey-brown, but in the right light subtle shades of slate blue and violet shimmer across its feathers, giving rise to its distinctive name.

For many expedition travellers visiting Svalbard, the Purple Sandpiper is often one of the first Arctic shorebirds encountered. During summer, these birds can be seen foraging along rocky beaches, wandering across tundra landscapes and nesting close to glacier-fed fjords beneath the endless daylight of the midnight sun.

Unlike many sandpipers that favour sandy beaches and estuaries, Purple Sandpipers are specialists of rugged coastlines. They feed among seaweed-covered rocks and tidal zones, searching for insects, crustaceans, marine worms and other small invertebrates. Their ability to thrive in exposed polar environments has made them one of the Arctic's most resilient bird species.