80 WATER BIRDS 



284. BLACK TURNSTONE. — Arenaria melanocephala. 



Family : The Surf Birds and Turnstones. 



Length : 9.00. 



Adults in Summer: Forehead, sides of head, neck, throat, and chest 



black, more or less spotted with white, a small white patch in front 



of the eye ; crown and back iridescent greenish black ; belly and 



sides white. 

 Adults in Winter: Similar, but without white spots on head and neck. 

 Young: Plumage like winter plumage of adults, but black is replaced by 



grayish, and feathers of the upper parts are tipped with white or buff. 

 Geographical Distribution : Pacific coast of North America, from Point 



Barrow to Lower California. 

 Breeding Range : From British Columbia northward. 

 Breeding Season: June and July. 

 Nest : A slight depression in the ground, near beach. 

 Eggs: 4 ; grayish green, thickly spotted with brown. Size 1.62 X 1.12. 



The Black Turnstone is common along the coast dis- 

 trict of California throughout all the year. Mr. Grinnell 

 says that although a few individuals remain all summer, 

 they are not known to breed within the confines of the 

 State. They are seen most frequently along the exposed 

 ocean beaches, where their curious habit of poking under 

 small stones for food has given them their name. They 

 may be known by their short, sharp, tip-tilted bill, black 

 head, and white rump. There are but four species in 

 the family, three of which occur in the United States. 

 Of these the Black Turnstone is the only one met with 

 frequently in California, although the Ruddy Turnstone 

 occurs as a migrant throughout the coast district. All 

 the species are strictly maritime birds, living on the outer 

 beaches and shunning the interior. 



