Lesson 6: "Grasspipers" & Turnstones Flashcards
From the surf-pounded rocky coastlines of the continent to the grassy prairies of its interior, meet and learn to identify the members of these two unique groups of shorebirds that have made their homes in starkly contrasting habitats. Species covered in this lesson include: Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Upland Sandpiper
What are the only TWO species of turnstone found in North America and the world?
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Black Turnstone
Surfbirds are also stocky shorebirds with a short, stout bill that love the same marine habitats, so we will be covering that species in this lesson as well.
Describe the overall physical characteristics of turnstones.
Try to list 4 features
- Short, stocky shorebirds
- Medium-sized but smaller than Killdeer
- Short legs
- Short, thick bills
What bird is this?
Ruddy Turnstone
Breeding plumage
This short-legged, stocky shorebird is unmistakable in its boldly-patterned, black, white, and rufous breeding plumage.
Ruddy Turnstones have a preference for rocky shores, sandy beaches, and mudflats, and are found along most coastlines in the world at some point throughout the year.
In fact, habitat can play an important role in telling the two species apart: Black Turnstone are strictly coastal, while Ruddy Turnstone can be found inland, as well as along the coast.
Black Turnstone
Breeding plumage
Strikingly black-and-white patterned with bold black on the head, neck, breast, and back, and a white belly. Black Turnstone are very similar in shape and size to Ruddy Turnstone but they completely lack any rufous on the body and have dull (not bright orange) legs.
In the non-breeding season, Black Turnstone lack any white on the face, head, and neck; although, as seen in this picture, breeding Black Turnstone do exhibit diffuse white facial patches.
How can you tell the difference between Ruddy and Black Turnstone?
Black Turnstone
1. Are a bold black-and-white in color (no rufous).
2. Have dark legs (or dull orange).
3. Are a Western-restricted species, so you won’t see them on the east coast!
Ruddy Turnstone
1. Have extensive rufous in breeding plumage.
2. In the non-breeding season, become more brown-and-white, but not black-and-white.
3. Have a bold, u-shaped mark on the neck and shoulder (visible in both seasons).
4. Have bright orange legs.
Describe the typical foraging behaviour of the turnstones.
They use their short, sharp triangular bills to turn over debris like stones, algae, seaweeds, and shells to get at food underneath.
What is special about the range of Black Turnstone?
They are a western-restricted species.
Black Turnstone are found exclusively along the western Pacific coast of North America, whereas Ruddy Turnstone are found on both coasts (and, in fact, most coastlines in the world).
What is the preferred habitat of Black Turnstone?
High-energy rocky shorelines, breakwaters, jetties, and piers in marine habitats.
Black Turnstone are rarely found far from the vicinity of crashing, spraying waves.
What bird is this?
Black Turnstone
Non-breeding plumage
Now we see the Black Turnstone in non-breeding plumage, which is very similar to its breeding plumage, but lacking the white highlights around the face.
Overall, note the bold black head, neck, and breast (no rufous), white belly, and dull orange legs. Also take in the shoreline habitat! Black Turnstone are seldom found far from crashing waves and rocky shorelines.
What birds are these?
Ruddy Turnstones
Non-breeding plumage
During the non-breeding season, Ruddy Turnstones lose their bright rufous colors and turn a plainer shade of brown on top, white below. They still, however, have bright orange legs and a dark brown U-shape marking that frames the neck and breast.
Black Turnstones are all-dark from the breast up, which makes them easy to tell apart from Ruddy Turnstone.
What bird is this?
Surfbird
Non-breeding plumage
Surfbirds are stocky, medium-sized shorebirds with a large head and short, stout bill used for prying barnacles and mussels off of rocks in the intertidal zone.
As their name suggests, you will never find them far from the breaking waves on beaches and rocky shores! Note the short, stout yellow legs and yellow bill base.
Describe the overall physical characteristics of a Surfbird.
- Short, stocky shorebirds
- Medium-sized
- Short legs
- Short, triangular bill
What FIVE distinguishing markers can help you tell Surfbirds apart from the other shorebird species it commonly shares its habitat with?
- Larger size
- Short, stout bill
- Yellow at the bill base
- Short, thick yellow legs
- Thin white eye-ring
Relative size definitely comes into play when telling Surfbirds apart from the Turnstone they so often share their habitat with. Surfbirds are a larger and stockier overall than the smaller, slimmer Turnstone, making them easy to tell apart, even in poor light conditions, and even though they tend to move about quite quickly and restlessly, foraging and avoiding wave splash.
Ruddy Turnstone
Breeding plumage
In flight, Ruddy Turnstone show off a bold white-and-black wing stripe, as well as a white back, shoulders, and tail with dark outer tail feathers. These patterns are similar to Black Turnstone so it is really their more chestnut / brown plumage that will help you tell the difference.
What bird is this?
Black Turnstone
Non-breeding plumage
These birds are striking in flight with their bold white wing stripes and white patches on the shoulders, back, and rump. Note the strong black-and-white patterning, lack of rufous, and unmarked dark plumage on the face, head, and neck.
What diagnostic markers can help you distinguish a Surfbird from a Ruddy or Black Turnstone in flight?
Photo by Alan Schmierer
Surfbirds lack the white shoulders and back of the turnstones.
Although they do have a bold white wing stripe and a white tail with a dark band at the end (as you can see in this image), the lack of white on the shoulders and back easily sets the Surfbird apart from the turnstones.
Rock Sandpiper, which also share a habitat with Surfbirds, can be told apart in flight by their dark centerline down the tail and long, droopy bill (like a Dunlin).
In both cases, relative size is also incredibly helpful. Surfbirds are larger, stockier birds!
How can you tell a Surfbird apart from a Wandering Tattler?
Try to list 5 differences
Wandering Tattler:
1. Are overall larger and slimmer.
2. Have much longer bills.
3. Bob their tails constantly.
4. Lack the Surfbird’s bold wing stripe and white tail in flight.
5. Likely to be solitary, not in a flock.
How can you tell a Surfbird apart from a Rock Sandpiper?
Try to list 3 differences
Photo by Vickie J Anderson
Rock Sandpiper
1. Have longer, thinner, slightly drooped bills, like a Dunlin.
2. Have skinnier legs.
3. Have a white tail with a dark line down the center, visible during flight.
What bird is this?
Black Turnstone
Non-breeding plumage
Black Turnstone are actually dark brown in their non-breeding plumage, and more black in their breeding plumage.
They love high-energy rocky shorelines along the Pacific coastline and are rarely found far from the vicinity of spraying waves. (They are a western-restricted species rarely found on the east coast of the continent)
What bird is this?
Ruddy Turnstone
Breeding plumage
Take a closer look at that short, stocky, sharp-ended bill. Turnstones use these to flip over stones, seaweed, shells, and other debris to look for food underneath; hence the name turn stone!
Surfbird
Non-breeding plumage
Surfbirds spend winter in a very narrow range up the Pacific coastline of North and South America, where they are typically found in the splashy, rocky intertidal zone.
In their plain non-breeding plumage, they have a brown head, neck, and back and white undersides marked with chevrons. Their overall shape and particularly bill shape will help you tell them apart from similar species—like Wandering Tattler and Rock Sandpiper—that like the same habitat.
Surfbird
Breeding plumage
Compared with the other Surfbirds we have shown you (both in non-breeding plumage) you would be forgiven for thinking this was a totally different shorebird!
Like many other shorebirds, Surfbirds in breeding plumage look remarkably different from their drab brown non-breeding selves. In either season, however, look for
- The short, stout bill with yellow/orange at the base
- The stocky, bright yellow legs (somewhat obscurred in this photo)
- Overall robust shape and large head
- Thin white eye-ring
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
This medium-sized shorebird (smaller than a turnstone) loves grassy habitats. Its long legs, medium-length neck, small head (like a dove), and short bill give it a unique silhouette.
Note its buffy plumage and clean, unmarked face, which makes the eye look especially dark and prominent. The back and crown are dark-spotted and the legs are yellow.
Unlike the other birds discussed in this deck so far, the “grasspipers” do not show strong plumage variations between the seasons.
Upland Sandpiper
This medium-sized sandpiper has unusual proportions with its long legs, tail, and neck (the lattermost of which is not all that visible in this picture) and a short bill and small head. They also have a large, dark eye that stands out quite prominently.
Upland Sandpiper
Note the long, thin neck and tringa-like shape but with a much shorter bill. This silhouette is diagnostic of the Upland Sandpiper. They also have a long tail for a shorebird, which is particularly noticable in flight, and a propensity to alight on fence posts and tree stumps.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
That beautiful buffy plumage—the color of wet beach sand—is a giveaway for the aptly-named Buff-breasted Sandpiper! Also note the prominent dark eye, yellow legs, and dark spots on the back and crown.
Making identification a little easier, their plumage does not vary between the seasons and there isn’t much sexual dichromatism either, although males do tend to be larger than females.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
All-over buffy coloring and small head and short bill give this lovely little shorebird away as a Buff-breasted Sandpiper!
But also note the habitat. They especially like grasslands, fields, and pastures with short grass.
This can actually make them quite hard to spot in dry grassy habitats and rutted fields, since their smaller size and plumage help them perfectly blend in and disappear.
Upland Sandpiper
You might not be able to see its long, yellow legs but that long, skinny neck and large, prominent eye in a small head is a dead giveaway for the Upland Sandpiper. (This is not even to mention the spot-on grasslands habitat.)
The bill is also short, slim, and yellow beneath, dark on top with a dark tip.
