Black Turnstone

Arenaria melanocephala (Vigors, 1829)

22–25 cmLength126 gWeight

The black turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) is a species of small wading bird.

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Black Turnstone has been recorded at 83 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States16,609 records
Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States10,520 records
Pillar Point HarborUnited States6,162 records

More places

Clover PointCanada5,269 records
Pt. PinosUnited States4,068 records
Sooke – Whiffin Spit ParkCanada2,664 records
Bodega Bay – harbor and immediate vicinityUnited States2,563 records
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal JettyCanada2,243 records
Oak Bay – Cattle PointCanada2,078 records
Neah Bay – town and bay onlyUnited States1,760 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) is a species of small wading bird. It is one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria, the ruddy turnstone (A. interpres) being the other. It is now classified in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae, but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family, Charadriidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Turnstone?

The Black Turnstone is about 22–25 cm long and weighs around 126 g.

Where does the Black Turnstone live?

Its breeding range: North America: coastal western Alaska, also along rivers, streambeds and lakes. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.