jetty mandible detritus

Arenaria interpres, the ruddy turnstone, a relative of the sandpiper, is a small, short-legged shorebird belonging to the family Scolopacidae. The squat turnstone usually grows to a length of 7 to 8 inches, but in the mid-Atlantic region individuals 9 to 10 inches in length may be found.

This species feeds in small but abundant groups, gleaning and foraging along pebbly beaches, mudflats or on jetties. They may feed and fly in the company of other shorebirds, sandpipers, but their distinct markings set them apart.

The adult turnstone, in winter, has sturdy yellowish to reddish legs and the head and the upper part of the body are grayish-brown. It has a black breast with slight gray patch and white throat, and white belly. Its small dark bill turns up at the lower mandible. The sexes in this species are similar, and the juveniles' plumage also resembles the basic adult plumage.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Rob Bierregaard		Photo courtesy of Dr. Derek C. Richardson

In summer its markings become more dramatic. The upperparts of the ruddy turnstone become a rusty red. Its face and breast are conspicuously marked with black, giving the bird a harlequin-like appearance in flight.

The ruddy turnstone is so named for its color and its method of feeding: it will walk along the beach in up to 5 cm of water, and use its bill to turn over pebbles, small stones or other detritus in search of the food-usually small crustaceans-hiding beneath. Its habit of feeding along the shore at low tides has earned it the nickname, 'seaweed bird'.

Ruddy turnstones may winter in the southern United States, or as far south as Chile; the birds appear again as far north as Nova Scotia in midsummer. But this species may be found along Atlantic coastal waters throughout the year, and from November through April from southern New Jersey to eastern Virginia, feeding along rocky or sandy beaches.

Occasionally they will fly inland to meadows or pastures, sometimes even feeding with other species such as the black-bellied plover, vocalizing with a 'tuk-e-tuk' sound.

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Last modified: 09/01/2004