Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstone is a chunky, short-legged shorebird instantly recognizable by its harlequin plumage. Breeding adults have a bold tortoiseshell pattern of chestnut-red, black, and white across the back and wings, a striking black-and-white face pattern, and bright orange-red legs.

Nonbreeding birds are duller, with the rufous replaced by dark brownish tones, but the black-and-white facial pattern and orange legs remain distinctive year-round. The bill is short, stout, and slightly upturned, giving the species its name and its habit.

Despite its small size, the Ruddy Turnstone is a powerful long-distance migrant, breeding in the high Arctic and wintering on coastlines around much of the world.

Key field marks

• Bold tortoiseshell pattern of rufous, black, and white on the back (breeding plumage)
• Striking black-and-white harlequin face and breast pattern
• Bright orange-red legs
• Short, stout, slightly upturned bill
• Stocky, short-legged build compared to other shorebirds
• Distinctive white wing-stripe and back pattern visible in flight

Similar species

• No other North American or Eurasian shorebird shares its combination of orange legs and harlequin plumage; nonbreeding birds can look plainer brown but retain the diagnostic face pattern and leg color.
• Black Turnstone (Pacific coast of North America): darker overall, lacking the rufous tones, with duller blackish legs.

Habitat

Outside the breeding season, Ruddy Turnstones favor rocky shorelines, jetties, gravel beaches, and sandy coasts, often probing among seaweed and debris left by the tide.

Range and migration

They breed on Arctic tundra in a circumpolar distribution across northern North America, Greenland, and Eurasia. After breeding, they migrate to winter on coastlines nearly worldwide, from temperate to tropical shores, making them one of the most widely distributed shorebirds on Earth.

Behavior

True to their name, turnstones use their short, wedge-shaped bill to flip over stones, shells, seaweed mats, and other debris to expose hidden prey, and will also dig into sand or peck open stranded shellfish.

Voice

Calls include a staccato, chattering rattle, often rendered as "tuk-e-tuk" or a rapid trilling, given both in flight and while foraging in groups.

Feeding

Their diet is broad and opportunistic, including insects, small crustaceans, mollusks, and carrion; they will also scavenge around fish carcasses, bird eggs, and human food scraps.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs nest on the ground in a shallow scrape on open Arctic tundra near water, laying a clutch of typically four eggs; both parents share incubation duties before the young quickly become mobile and self-feeding.