Black Turnstone

Black Turnstone

Arenaria melanocephala

The Black Turnstone is one of the defining species for the rocky, wave-battered Pacific Coast. It blends in well with the dark rocks, but a careful winter observer will find it from Alaska through Baja California. It is rarely found far from the vicinity of spraying waves.

Interesting Information

As their name suggests, turnstones often forage by turning over stones and other objects.
On the breeding grounds, the Black Turnstone is extremely aggressive to avian predators, flying more than 100 m from its territory to pursue jaegers and gulls.
A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

Description

Adult Description

Length Range: 23 cm (9 in)
Weight: 113 g (4 oz)
Size: Medium (9 - 16 in)Stocky, short-legged shorebird.
Short, dark bill fairly thick with a slight upturn to the lower mandible.
Legs usually dark, but occasionally dark red or pinkish.
Bold wing pattern visible in flight, produced by white feathers at the base of the leading edge of the wing, a white wing stripe, and a white lower back.
White tail with black terminal band.

Sex Differences

Sexes Similar

Immature

Resembles winter adult, but slightly more brownish overall with buffy fringes on feathers of body and tail tipped with brown rather

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Habitat

Breeds in sparsely vegetated areas next to coastal meadows.
In winter, found along high-energy rocky shorelines, on beaches near rocky coasts, and on jetties and piers.

Behavior

Uses aerial displays to attract a mate. Uses oddly-shaped bill to flip and turn stones, algae, sticks, and other items to find food underneath. Probes in cracks. Pecks at food on surface of rocks.

Food

Aquatic invertebrates: crustaceans, barnacles, and limpets.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Arenaria
Species:	Arenaria melanocephala

Similar Species

None

Bird Sound

Constant rattles and dry chatters in winter feeding flock. On breeding ground, calls a persistent "weet, weet, too-weet" at intruders.

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	Handel, C. M., and R. E. Gill. 2001. Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). In The Birds of North America, No. 585 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

	All photos and videos © Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.