H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

The photographs displayed on this post were shot at several locations of the coast of Georgia.

The Ruddy Turnstone  is a fairly small and stocky bird. The dark, wedge-shaped bill slightly upturned. The legs are fairly short are bright orange.

Ruddy Turnstone

At all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. Breeding birds have reddish-brown upper parts with black markings. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. The rest of the underparts are white. In flight it reveals a white wingbar, white patch near the base of the wing and white lower back, rump and tail with dark bands on the uppertail-coverts and near the tip of the tail. The female is slightly duller than the male and has a browner head with more streaking.

The Ruddy Turnstone has a staccato, rattling call and also a chattering alarm-call which is mainly given during the breeding season.

The Ruddy Turnstone has a varied diet including carrion, eggs and plant material but it feeds mainly on invertebrates. Insects are particularly important in the breeding season. At other times it also takes crustaceans, mollusks and worms. It often flips over stones and other objects to get at prey items hiding underneath; this behavior is the origin of the name “turnstone”. It usually forages in flocks.

Text and photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101