Turnstone (Ruddy)

 The ruddy turnstone is a small, stocky, brightly-patterned shorebird, named for its habit of turning over objects such as stones, shells and seaweed to uncover prey hidden beneath A variety of feeding methods are used, including flipping over objects such as stones and seaweed, probing mud and sand with the beak, digging, or pecking food from the surface of rocks. Despite its small size, the ruddy turnstone is capable of pushing and overturning quite large objects, which are sometimes pushed with the breast

 

During the breeding season, the adult’s striking ‘tortoiseshell’ plumage is reddish-brown with blackish-brown patches on the upper parts, and white on the under parts, with a black and white head, throat, neck and breast.. Non-breeding individuals are much duller and darker, with greyish-brown and blackish upper parts, and grey-brown on the head, neck and breast. Juveniles resemble the non-breeding adult, but are browner, with a paler head.

Photographed at Tigertail Beach, Marco Island, Florida