Ruddy Turnstone
La Piscina Playa de las Américas Tenerife.
What3Words
///soliciting.stoat.disclosing
The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a stocky, medium-sized shorebird famously known as the "bodybuilder" or "professional rock flipper" of the coastline. It is celebrated for its unique foraging behavior and vibrant, "calico cat" plumage.
Physical Appearance
Distinctive Colors:
In breeding season, they feature a "harlequin" pattern of bright reddish-brown, black, and white on their backs, with a bold black bib and white belly.
Winter Plumage:
During non-breeding months, they transition to a duller grey-brown, though they retain their signature bright orange legs.
Build:
They are about 8–10 inches long with a short, stout, slightly upturned black bill used as a prying tool.
In Flight:
They display a striking pattern of white wing stripes, a white rump, and a black tail band.
Behavior and Diet
Stone Flipping:
Their name comes from their habit of using their bill to flip over stones, shells, and seaweed to find hidden invertebrates. They may even work together to move larger objects.
Opportunistic Feeders:
While they primarily eat insects (like midges) on breeding grounds, they consume crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and even the eggs of other birds like terns or gulls.
Stability:
They have a low center of gravity and spiny feet with curved toenails that act like "built-in water shoes," allowing them to grip slippery rocks.
Migration and Habitat
Global Range:
They breed in the high Arctic tundra and migrate vast distances to winter along the coastlines of six continents.
Incredible Journeys:
Some individuals travel more than 6,500 miles between habitats, flying at speeds up to 40–47 mph.
Faithfulness:
They are known to be highly site-faithful, often returning to the exact same stretch of coastline year after year.
Life Cycle
Nesting:
They are monogamous and nest in shallow scrapes on the ground.
Quick Maturity:
Chicks are "precocial," meaning they can leave the nest and feed themselves within hours of hatching. They often take their first flight by 19 days old and may start their first migration just two days later, often independently of their parents.
Ruddy Turnstone
La Piscina Playa de las Américas Tenerife.
What3Words
///soliciting.stoat.disclosing
The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a stocky, medium-sized shorebird famously known as the "bodybuilder" or "professional rock flipper" of the coastline. It is celebrated for its unique foraging behavior and vibrant, "calico cat" plumage.
Physical Appearance
Distinctive Colors:
In breeding season, they feature a "harlequin" pattern of bright reddish-brown, black, and white on their backs, with a bold black bib and white belly.
Winter Plumage:
During non-breeding months, they transition to a duller grey-brown, though they retain their signature bright orange legs.
Build:
They are about 8–10 inches long with a short, stout, slightly upturned black bill used as a prying tool.
In Flight:
They display a striking pattern of white wing stripes, a white rump, and a black tail band.
Behavior and Diet
Stone Flipping:
Their name comes from their habit of using their bill to flip over stones, shells, and seaweed to find hidden invertebrates. They may even work together to move larger objects.
Opportunistic Feeders:
While they primarily eat insects (like midges) on breeding grounds, they consume crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and even the eggs of other birds like terns or gulls.
Stability:
They have a low center of gravity and spiny feet with curved toenails that act like "built-in water shoes," allowing them to grip slippery rocks.
Migration and Habitat
Global Range:
They breed in the high Arctic tundra and migrate vast distances to winter along the coastlines of six continents.
Incredible Journeys:
Some individuals travel more than 6,500 miles between habitats, flying at speeds up to 40–47 mph.
Faithfulness:
They are known to be highly site-faithful, often returning to the exact same stretch of coastline year after year.
Life Cycle
Nesting:
They are monogamous and nest in shallow scrapes on the ground.
Quick Maturity:
Chicks are "precocial," meaning they can leave the nest and feed themselves within hours of hatching. They often take their first flight by 19 days old and may start their first migration just two days later, often independently of their parents.