General Description: Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) are stocky, medium-sized shorebirds with short, red legs and a short, black bill. In winter plumage, they are mottled black-and-ruddy above, white below, and the breast is heavily marked with black. The underside of the bill is angled slightly upward, giving them a chisel-shaped appearance. In flight, the wing pattern is bold black-and-white, the lower back is white, and the tail is white with a black terminal band.

In breeding plumage, the facial pattern becomes boldly black-and-white, the breast marks become boldly black, and the reddish on the wings becomes more extensive.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae, Scolopacinae.

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

Where to Find: Don't look for Ruddy Turnstones around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them along the Pacific and Atlantic coast. They breed in the high arctic and winter along the coasts from about California and Virginia south into South America.

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.