Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) got their name from their habit of searching for food by using their bills to turn over stones in search of small crustaceans along the beaches and coastal areas where they live. They are coastal dwellers in both their breeding and wintering seasons. Even in migration most follow coastal routes to their breeding grounds in the Arctic Ocean.

This male was feeding In Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where the beaches are more sandy than rocky. His foraging technique was to use his bill to dig in the sand, presumably looking for small crabs, mollusks and other crustaceans.

Location: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, VA