Quick identification
Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
A stocky orange-legged shorebird with bold black, white and chestnut pattern in breeding plumage and a dark breast in winter.
Season and local range: Common migrant and winter visitor.
Habitat and island setting
Rock jetties, shell edges, wrack and hardened shoreline.
Where to look
The Isla Blanca jetty is the obvious island setting; also check seawalls and debris-rich beach edges without climbing into unsafe surf. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Turnstones flip shells and wrack to expose prey. Fishing line and hooks are a special hazard on jetties—pack out every piece you find safely.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.