Ruddy Turnstone Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRuddy Turnstone
Breeding adult
Short, stocky, oval-shaped shorebird with a stout and slightly upturned bill. Breeding birds have a calico patterned back and a black-and-white face. Note orange legs.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 05, 2015Nonbreeding adult
Short, stocky, oval-shaped shorebird with a stout and slightly upturned bill. Nonbreeding birds have a brown ghosting of the breeding plumage pattern and orange legs.
© Baxter Beamer / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, February 25, 2019Breeding adult
Stout body tapers to a slender tail. Walks along shorelines turning over rocks and debris to look for flies and midges hiding underneath.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 05, 2015Not all videos have sound
Nonbreeding/immature
In flight, note the white stripe down the back, a black tail stripe, a white rump, and white stripes down the wings.
© Ted Keyel / Macaulay LibraryTexas, January 01, 2020Juvenile
Juveniles look like nonbreeding birds, but have rusty edges to the feathers on the upperparts.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, August 31, 2016Breeding adult
Flips rocks, pebbles, and seaweed along shorelines in search of food with stout but sharply pointed bill.
© Laure Wilson Neish / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 19, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Stocky and short-legged shorebird with orange legs. Nonbreeding birds are brownish overall with a rounded brown chest patch.
© Steve Percival / Macaulay LibraryEngland, January 23, 2017Habitat
Breeds in the tundra. Uses freshwater shorelines, mudflats, rocky shorelines, and sandy beaches during migration and winter.
© Scott Gibson / Macaulay LibraryOntario, June 02, 2017Similar SpeciesBlack Turnstone
Breeding adult
Black Turnstones lack the Ruddy’s reddish coloring and have darker legs—although sometimes their legs appear orangish, they are not as bright as a Ruddy Turnstone's.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 09, 2017Similar SpeciesBlack Turnstone
Nonbreeding
Black Turnstones are darker brownish black than Ruddy Turnstones.
© Andrew Johnson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 18, 2017Similar SpeciesSurfbird
Breeding adult
Surfbirds have yellow (not orange) legs. In breeding plumage, Surfbirds lack the bold black markings on the head and chest of Ruddy Turnstones.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 26, 2016Similar SpeciesSurfbird
Nonbreeding adult
Surfbirds have longer yellow (not orange) legs and are mostly gray, without the calico patterned back like Ruddy Turnstones.
© Matt Brady / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 09, 2011Similar SpeciesRock Sandpiper
Breeding adult
Rock Sandpipers have a more upright posture and a longer bill than Ruddy Turnstones.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 20, 2008Similar SpeciesRock Sandpiper
Nonbreeding adult
Rock Sandpipers have a longer bill than Ruddy Turnstones with yellow (not orange) legs.
© Caroline Lambert / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 16, 2015Similar SpeciesPurple Sandpiper
Breeding
Purple Sandpipers have a longer, slightly drooping bill than Ruddy Turnstones. They also lack the bold rusty and black patterning of Ruddy Turnstones.
© Ryan Terrill / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 12, 2012Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Sandpipers and Allies(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae)
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