ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
THE PLOVERS, SNIPES, AND IMMEDIATE ALLIES
Turnstones
We may appropriately begin the consideration of this, the largest of the six families, with the interesting little Turnstones (Arenaria), so called from their constant habit of turning over shells and pebbles in search of their food of insects and crustaceans. Of the two species the Common Turnstone (-4. interpres) is practically cosmopolitan, mainly along seacoasts, breeding in the Arctic regions,
and in America migrating southward as far as the Straits of Magellan. It is about nine and one half inches long, with the upper parts including the wings mainly dusk)', variegated more or less with rufous and white, the head being mostly white, and the chest a uniform deep black, while the rump, throat, and abdomen are pure white, and the legs and feet are orange; in winter the plumage is somewhat darker. It is observed singly or in small parties,
Sticking closely to the Fm 116_ Common Turnstone, Arenaria internes. outer, especially rocky, beaches, and gleaning its food among stranded seaweed, and several have been observed to assist in overturning a stone too large for the effort of a single bird. Palmer mentions them as being exceedingly abundant in fall on the Pribilof Islands, where they become excessively fat. Their departure in flocks of a hundred or more took place at evening, the flock rising and circling about several times until attaining the proper elevation, when they headed straight out to sea, often through a dense bank of fog, their destination being the Aleutians, some 200 miles away. The Black Turnstone (A. melanocephala) of the Pacific coast of North America is a little smaller and much darker and has the throat dusky instead of white.
previous bird species next bird species
Footer
Footer