Black Turnstone Link

: True to their name, they use their bill to flip over stones, shells, and massive clumps of kelp to find hidden invertebrates like sand hoppers and fly larvae.

They hatch in the high-latitude marshes of western and northern Alaska, specifically the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Pairs are remarkably loyal, often returning to the exact same nesting site with the same mate year after year. Consider the Black Turnstone, a Master of Camouflage black turnstone

: They may look drab on the ground, but in flight, they reveal a bold, high-contrast black-and-white pattern on their wings and back. Life as a "Barnacle-Buster" : True to their name, they use their

Unlike its world-traveling cousin, the Ruddy Turnstone, the Black Turnstone keeps a strictly local profile, sticking almost exclusively to the western edge of North America. Consider the Black Turnstone, a Master of Camouflage

: They are among the few shorebirds strong enough to hammer or pry open barnacles, limpets, and mussels from wave-washed rocks.

: In heavy seaweed, they have been known to "snowplow," shoving their entire body into the debris to uncover prey. A Very Specific Home

The Black Turnstone has one of the most limited breeding ranges of any shorebird, making it a high-priority species for conservationists at groups like Audubon . Breeding in the Arctic