Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 8.7–9.8 in
22–25 cm - Weight
- 3.5–6 oz
100–170 g
Other Names
- Tournepierre noir (French)
- Vuelvepiedras negro (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- 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.
Habitat
Shore-line
- 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.
Food
Insects
Aquatic invertebrates: crustaceans, barnacles, and limpets.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Egg Description
- Oval to mildly pointed, pale olive with brown spots and blotches.
- Condition at Hatching
- Active and covered with down.
Nest Description
Scrape or depression in ground or vegetation. Lined with vegetation.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
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.
Conservation
Least Concern
No data on long-term population trends.
Credits
- 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.