The Ruddy Turnstone is a stocky, boldly patterned shorebird that hunts in a way its name describes exactly: it uses its short, slightly upturned, wedge-shaped bill to flip over stones, shells, seaweed, and debris in search of the small creatures hidden beneath. In breeding plumage it is a striking harlequin of rusty-orange, black, and white, with bright orange legs and a complex black-and-white face pattern; nonbreeding birds are darker brown and white but keep the chunky build, orange legs, and busy, turning foraging style.
Ruddy Turnstones nest on the high Arctic tundra and are wide-ranging migrants, and in Michigan they pass through mainly along Great Lakes shorelines, favoring rocky, pebbly, and debris-strewn beaches and breakwalls over smooth open mud. Energetic and pugnacious, they bustle along the shore flipping cover and probing crevices, often in small groups. Their bold pattern, stone-turning habit, and preference for rocky Great Lakes edges make them a distinctive and welcome migrant.
Feeds on insects, small crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates, famously flipping over stones, shells, seaweed, and debris with its wedge-shaped bill to reach hidden prey. It also probes crevices and digs in sand and gravel, foraging busily along rocky and pebbly shorelines.
From its foraging habit: it uses its short, slightly upturned bill to turn over stones, shells, and debris to find the invertebrates hidden underneath. The "ruddy" refers to the rusty tones of its breeding plumage.
In breeding plumage it is an unmistakable harlequin of rusty, black, and white with orange legs. Nonbreeding birds are dark brown and white but keep the stocky shape, orange legs, and busy stone-turning behavior.
On rocky, pebbly, and debris-strewn Great Lakes shorelines, beaches, and breakwalls during migration. It favors these rougher edges over the smooth open mudflats where many shorebirds feed.
Juveniles are a muted brown version of the adult with scaly-edged back feathers and a duller face pattern, but keep the same orange legs and the bold black-and-white flight pattern.
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