Black Turnstone
Arenaria melanocephala
About This Species
Forages on rocky shorelines, jetties and mussel beds, flipping stones and probing crevices for invertebrates, usually in tight little flocks that flush together showing a bold black-and-white wing pattern. Rocky coastline at low tide, from autumn through spring outside its Alaskan breeding season, gives the most reliable views.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep 20 metres or more between yourself and a foraging flock so birds are not repeatedly pushed off productive feeding rocks, which costs them valuable time at low tide.
- Migratory shorebirds like this one are protected under federal law in both the United States and Canada, though specific site protections vary by location.
LCAvesCharadriiformesScolopacidae
Seasonal Activity
301,597 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
Photo
(c) Alan Prichard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alan Prichard
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.