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Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Not yet photographed by the community

Flips seaweed for food; tortoiseshell pattern in summer.

Species Profile

Green List (UK); Least Concern (global)

Lifespan: 15–20 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 22–24 cm, wingspan 40–45 cm; 85–150 g
Habitat: Rocky and shingle shores, estuaries, and coastal mudflats, preferring areas with abundant invertebrates to forage.
UK Distribution: Winter visitor and passage migrant to UK coasts, arriving from Arctic breeding grounds in July–August and departing in April–May. Small numbers occasionally stay year-round in mild winters.
Diet: Invertebrates including small crustaceans, molluscs, insects, and larvae, obtained by probing and flipping stones to reveal prey beneath.
Prey: Amphipods, isopods, small cockles, mussels, sand hoppers, and insect larvae
Predators: Peregrine falcon, merlin, golden eagle, and foxes; corvids may prey on chicks or eggs at breeding sites
Mating Season: May to July
Breeding: Does not breed in the UK; breeds in Arctic regions. Clutch of 3–4 eggs, incubation 21–24 days, single brood per season.
Behaviour: Highly active and restless forager, characteristically flipping stones and pebbles to expose hidden invertebrates. Often seen in small flocks in winter, sometimes mixing with other waders. Males are notably vocal during breeding season.

Did You Know?

•The Turnstone's scientific name 'interpres' is Latin for 'interpreter', referring to its habit of 'reading' the shoreline by turning over stones
•It can flip stones and objects much larger than itself—up to 2 kg—using rapid pecking motions
•Turnstones have a distinctive two-tone plumage pattern in breeding season, with bold black and white markings that make them easily identifiable in flight
•They undertake one of the longest migrations of any wader, breeding as far north as the Canadian Arctic and Siberia before wintering on UK coasts
•Turnstones are surprisingly long-lived for small waders, with some individuals recorded living over 20 years in the wild

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