Ruddy turnstone
Arenaria interpres
- On view
- Sandy Shore & Aviary
- Animal type
- Birds
- Ecosystem
- Coastal wetlands
- Relatives
- Sandpipers; Family: Scolopacidae
- Diet
- Molluscs, crustaceans, insects and bird eggs
- Range
- Coastal tundra from northwestern Canada to southern Greenland for breeding in summer; Oregon and Connecticut south to South America in winter
- Size
- From 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm)
Meet the ruddy turnstone
You can tell this shorebird by its plump body, black bib, wedge-shaped bill and short orange-red legs. But in breeding season it takes on a different look, with black, white and reddish-brown markings, a white belly and a distinctive black and white head.
Conservation
Oil spills threaten migratory shorebirds like ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, dunlins and western sandpipers, because these birds gather in huge groups at five key feeding grounds where food is superabundant. These feeding grounds support five million shorebirds each year. An oil spill at one of these sites could be devastating to their populations. Resort development and beach erosion also threaten shorebirds.
Cool facts
- The ruddy turnstone uses its wedge-shaped bill to open barnacles, dig holes and flip aside stones, shells and seaweed in pursuit of small invertebrates and insects.
- A ruddy turnstone can fly at speeds up to 40 mph.
- When food is scarce, a ruddy turnstone defends its temporary feeding territory against all intruders.
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