Bent considers this a distinct species and if range is the deciding factor he is correct. I have retained its status as a subspecies because coloration is scarcely different from the Purple Sandpiper. Nelson says the courting song is a clear hard whistling note, not unlike the trill of a tree frog, given while the Bird hovers on vibrating wings ten or fifteen yards up. Hanna states they are very common on St. George and St. Matthew Islands, Alaska; and prefer elevations up to 500 feet for their nests which are placed in reindeer moss and extremely difficult to locate.
Eastern Islands of Alaska.