Found along coastlines almost worldwide, especially during migration, it’s famous for flipping over stones, shells, and seaweed with its strong, slightly upturned bill in search of hidden insects, crustaceans, and other small prey. This clever habit not only gives the bird its name but also sets it apart from many other shorebirds that feed by probing or pecking in the sand.
During the breeding season, which takes place in the Arctic tundra of North America, Europe, and Asia, ruddy turnstones are among the most beautifully marked shorebirds. Males develop a vivid pattern of black and white on the face and chest, set against a rich, reddish-brown (ruddy) back and wings. In contrast, their winter plumage is more muted—mainly gray-brown and white—but their bright orange legs and short, strong build still make them easy to spot among flocks of coastal birds.
During migration, they are true long-distance travelers—some populations fly more than 15,000 kilometers (over 9,000 miles) between their Arctic breeding grounds and wintering sites along the coasts of South America, Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia. This incredible journey ranks them among the most wide-ranging shorebirds in the world.
While they breed in remote, open Arctic landscapes, they spend most of the year along rocky or sandy beaches, mudflats, estuaries, and even man-made structures like harbors and breakwaters. Ruddy turnstones are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide variety of items, including insects, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even bird eggs or carrion when available. Their powerful necks and sharp, chisel-like bills allow them to move surprisingly heavy objects for their size, giving them access to food sources other shorebirds might miss.
Distribution
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bolivia
Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian T.
British Virgin Is.
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Is. (Keeling)
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czechia
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern T.
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle Of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Réunion
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre
Saint Vincent
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts & Nevis
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
São Tomé & Príncipe
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks & Caicos
Tuvalu
Turkey
UAE
US Minor Is.
US Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis & Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Suggest an editGet to know me
Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
