Edinburgh Birds - Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone found on the coast near Musselburgh, Scotland.
Great to see this little shore birds but almost impossible to spot, if he/she hadn’t moved.
A shorebird that looks almost like a calico cat, the Ruddy Turnstone's orange legs and uniquely patterned black-and-white head and chest make them easy to pick out of a crowd. These long-distance migrants breed in the arctic tundra, but spend the off seasons on rocky shorelines and sandy beaches on both North American coasts (as well as South America, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia). They use their stout, slightly upturned bill to flip debris on the beach to uncover insects and small crustaceans.
