General Description: Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala) are small, short-legged shorebirds of the Pacific Coast. In winter plumage, they are more-or-less all black above, including the breast, and white below. In summer plumage, they look the same except they get a white eyeline. In all plumages, the legs are reddish brown. The underside of the bill is angled slightly upward, giving them a chisel-shaped bill.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae, Scolopacinae.

Favored Habitat: Coastal shorelines, especially rocky shorelines with pebble beaches.

Where to Find: Don't look for Black Turnstones around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them along the Pacific Coast.

Comments: Turnstones feed by using their bill to turn over stones (hence "turn-stone"), shells, seaweed, and other materials washed up on beaches in search of the tasty bugs hiding underneath.