186 
CH AR A DRI IFORMES 
A bird of sandy, muddy, or rocky shores, but preferring the sand. 
It is named from its habit of turning over small stones and pebbles on the 
beach in its search for food, and it is astonishing what comparatively large 
stones it can move. It inserts its bill under the edges, gives a little fillip, 
and away goes the stone rolling or skidding over the beach to a consider- 
able distance. 
284. Black Turnstone, le tourne-pierre noir. Arenaria melanocephala. L, 
9-50. A black and white turnstone, more black than white. All above, except lower 
back and base of tail, solid black with green iridescence. Head, throat, foreneck, and 
breast the same, cutting sharply against pure white flanks and underparts. Narrow bar 
of black between white base of tail and lower back. Considerable white tipping on ends 
of upperwing-coverts and inner secondaries. In highest plumage, fine, sparse, white 
streakings on face, down sides of neck and across breast, aggregating into a vague forehead 
bar, superciliary line, and loral spot (Figure 266). These 
white specklings absent in many cases. In autumn and 
winter the black duller, and juveniles with faint white 
edgings on back feathers. 
Distinctions. A black and white wader in uniform 
over-all masses; can be mistaken for no other species. 
Field Marks . A black and white wader coloured in 
broad masses. Has the same white rump and lower back and 
uppertail-coverts separated by black band as has the 
Ruddy Turnstone. Shows considerable white in wings in 
flight. 
Distribution. Pacific coast of North America. Breeds 
in northwest Alaska and migrates down the coast, wintering 
from British Columbia to Lower California. Never met 
with inland. 
Figure 266 
Black Turnstone; scale, 
The Black Turnstone occurs in great flocks along our west coast from 
late summer until the following spring. It is the commonest and most 
generally distributed wader of the coast. It frequents stony and rocky 
shores rather than sand or mud. 
■ 
FAMILY SCOLOPACIDAE. SNIPE-LIKE BIRDS. TIP-UPS, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 
General Description. Small to medium shore birds, the curlew being the largest 
species. Feet never entirely webbed nor toes furnished with web-flaps or web-margins. 
Some species have small webs between the base of the toes, giving rise to the term “semi- 
palmated” or half-webbed. All but one species, the Sanderling, page 210, have four toes. 
The bills are long, slender, and tapering; usually straight (Figure 267, and others); but 
some down-curved (Figures 270-272, pages 189-191); occasionally, as in the godwits, very 
slightly upcurved (Figure 300, page 208); rather flexible and usually slightly enlarged 
and sensitive at the tip. 
Distinctions. Shore birds, usually recognized by the above popular names. Bill 
does not taper to fine, sharp point, like that of the phalaropes and avocets (Figures 305, 
306, and 309, pages 212-214), and without the pronounced enlarged horny tip of the 
plover (Figure 253, page 179), is soft and rather flexible throughout its length (Figure 
294, page 204, is typical), in contrast with the horny bills of the turnstones and oyster- 
catchers (Figures 264, page 185, and 251, page 177). 
Nesting. All except one species, the Solitary Sandpiper, page 194, nest on the 
ground, in slight hollows lined sparsely with waste vegetable matter. 
Distribution. The greater number nest in the far north, though a few species south, 
even into the United States. They migrate down our coasts or through the interior accord- 
ing to species and distribution. Some of them have most interesting migration routes. 
Among these birds are the woodcock and snipe of the wet woods and 
marshes; the tip-ups, teeters, and sandpipers seen along the shores and 
streams; and the curlew of the uplands. These species formed the great 
bulk of the wonderful flocks of shore birds that once thronged our shores. 
