Ruddy Turnstone
| Class: Aves: Birds |
Diet: Insects, plants,
crustaceans, mollusks |
| Order:
Charadriiformes: Auks, Waders, Laris |
| Size: body:18
- 23 cm (7 - 9 in) |
| Family: Scolopacidae:
Sandpipers |
Conservation Status:
Non-threatened |
| Scientific Name:
Arenaria interpres |
Habitat: tundra |
| Range:
breeds in arctic coast marshes; winters on rocky shores south of breeding
range |
 In
the breeding season, the turnstone has bold black, white, and reddish-brown
markings, which become duller in winter. Insects, particularly midges,
and some plant material are its main food in summer, but in winter it forages
on seashores, turning over stones and other debris with its bill to find
mollusks, crustaceans, and even carrion. Breeding birds arrive from wintering
areas in late May or early June. The 4 eggs are laid in a grass-lined hollow
on the ground and incubated by both parents for 21 to 23 days.
  
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