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Arenaria melanocephala

(Vigors, 1829)

Black Turnstone

G5Secure Found in 63 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Joachim Bertrands | Ornis Birding Expeditions; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Joachim Bertrands | Ornis Birding Expeditions; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Dorian Anderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Dorian Anderson; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Mason Maron; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Mason Maron; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Ilya Povalyaev; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Ilya Povalyaev; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). © Braxton Landsman; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Braxton Landsman; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106575
Element CodeABNNF09020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
GenusArenaria
Other Common Names
Tournepierre noir (FR) Vuelvepiedras Negro (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-06
Change Date1996-11-26
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: locally along western and southern Alaska coast (see map in Handel and Gill 1992); 85% (61,000-99,000 birds) nest on the central Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; about 15,000 others nest elsewhere (Handel and Gill 1992); nonbreeding birds may be found in summer in wintering range. WINTERS: south-coastal and southeastern Alaska south along Pacific coast to southern Baja California and central Sonora, Mexico (AOU 1983).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: rocky seacoasts and offshore islets, less frequently in seaweed on sandy beaches and tidal mudflats (AOU 1983). Nests mainly in salt-grass tundra; breeds along the coast or on offshore islands. Most of the breeding population is concentrated in a narrow band of salt grass, graminoid, and dwarf shrub meadows within 2 km of the coast; highest breeding densities occur in coastal salt grass meadows and lowest densities in dwarf shrub mat tundra; breeding densities in mixed graminoid and dwarf shrub meadows decline significantly with distance fom the coast (Handel and Gill 1992). Nests on the ground in a depression in a grassy area.

Ecology

Breeding density in optimal conditions is 1.11 birds/ha (Handel and Gill 1992).

Kelp restoration along the California coast apparently has enhanced local wintering population through augmented feeding substrate (algal wrack) (Condor 95:372-376).

Reproduction

Breeds from early May to late July. Four eggs incubated for 21 days (probably incubated by both sexes since both have incubation patches) (Terres 1980). Nestlings are precocial.
Terrestrial Habitats
TundraBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
OregonSNAYes
WashingtonS4NYes
AlaskaS3N,S4BYes
CaliforniaSNRNYes
CanadaN4N,N5M
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4N,S5MYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (63)
Alaska (47)
AreaForestAcres
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-14Chugach National Forest184
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
Chugach-15Chugach National Forest56
Chugach-16Chugach National Forest312
Chugach-16Chugach National Forest312
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
GravinaTongass National Forest37,381
Green RocksTongass National Forest11,093
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
MadanTongass National Forest68,553
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
MontagueChugach National Forest204,875
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North KupreanofTongass National Forest114,660
North WrangellTongass National Forest8,091
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sitka SoundTongass National Forest13,459
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
South KuiuTongass National Forest62,452
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
California (3)
AreaForestAcres
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
Oregon (10)
AreaForestAcres
North KalmiopsisSiskiyou National Forests91,560
North KalmiopsisSiskiyou National Forests91,560
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Washington (3)
AreaForestAcres
Madison CreekOlympic National Forest1,223
Madison CreekOlympic National Forest1,223
Mt. BaldyOlympic National Forest3,557
References (22)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. Bent, A.C. 1929. Life histories of North American shorebirds (Part II). U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 146. Washington, D.C.
  4. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  5. Carter, M., C. Hunter, D. Pashley, and D. Petit. 1998. The Watch List. Bird Conservation, Summer 1998:10.
  6. Castro, I. and A. Phillips. 1996. A guide to the birds of the Galapagos Islands. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
  7. Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
  8. Handel, C. M., and R. E. Gill, Jr. 1992. Breeding distribution of the black turnstone. Wilson Bull. 104:122-135.
  9. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  10. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
  11. Jehl, J. R., Jr. 1973. Breeding biology and systematic relationships of the stilt sandpiper. Wilson Bulletin 85:115-147.
  12. Knopf, F.L. 1996. Mountain Plover (<i>Charadrius montanus</i>). In A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The Birds of North America, No. 211. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC. 16 pp.
  13. Knopf, F.L., and J.R. Rupert. 1996. Productivity and movements of mountain plovers breeding in Colorado. Wilson Bulletin 108:28-35.
  14. Morrison, R.I.G. 1993/1994. Shorebird population status and trends in Canada. Bird Trends (3):3-5. Canadian Wildlife Service.
  15. Morrison, R. I. G., R. E. Gill, Jr., B. A. Harrington, S. Skagen, G. W. Page, C. L. Gratto-Trevor, and S. M. Haig. 2001. Estimates of shorebird populations in North America. Occasional Paper Number 104, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON. 64 pages.
  16. Nol, E., and M. S. Blanken. 1999. Semipalmated Plover (<i>Charadrius semipalmatus</i>). No. 444 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 24pp.
  17. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  18. Poole, A. F. and F. B. Gill. 1992. The birds of North America. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
  19. Ridgely, R. S. 2002. Distribution maps of South American birds. Unpublished.
  20. Rubega, M. A., D. Schamel, and D. M. Tracy. 2000. Red-necked Phalarope (<i>Phalaropus lobatus</i>). No. 538 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors, The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 28pp.
  21. Sibley, D. A. 2000a. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  22. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.