Ruddy Turnstone

Distribution, movements and phenology

The Ruddy Turnstone breeds between May and August in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Its wintering grounds along the eastern Atlantic stretch from Northern Europe to South Africa (Delany et al. 2009). In Portugal, migratory and wintering birds are found, originating from Northern Europe, Siberia, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. Although they can be observed throughout the year, they become more abundant in August due to the passage of birds heading towards Africa, with part of the population remaining in Portugal throughout the winter. In April and May, numbers rise again due to migrants that have wintered further south (Catry et al. 2010a). The birds that remain throughout the year are immature or non-breeding individuals. The Ruddy Turnstone can be found along the entire coastline of Mainland Portugal, including estuaries, lagoon areas and beaches. On the latter, the species is absent only from stretches of extensive sandy beaches devoid of rocky intertidal zones, such as the long sandy shores of the districts of Coimbra and Leiria. It very rarely strays from the coastline. The archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, including the Selvagens Islands, are also part of its migratory routes and wintering grounds, and it can be found on all the islands and many of the islets (Equipa Atlas 2018).

Abundance and population trends

The global population has been estimated at between two and three million mature individuals, with a declining trend (BirdLife International 2025). The wintering population in Europe may have contributed to the decline in recent decades (Delany et al. 2009), but the causes are unknown. In Portugal, the wintering population in coastal estuaries and lagoons has been around a thousand individuals (Catry et al. 2010a) and approximately 2,300 individuals on the Mainland coast (Lecoq et al. 2013). In the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, it winters in considerable numbers (Equipa Atlas 2018), although no robust estimates are available. The Mainland and Azores populations have not achieved Good Environmental Status for the abundance indicator, unlike the Madeira population.

Ecology and habitat

The Ruddy Turnstone is closely associated with rocky coastal habitats, as well as similar artificial structures. It prefers areas with a wide intertidal zone where disturbance from people, dogs and birds of prey is minimal (Lourenço et al. 2013). In estuarine and lagoon areas, it is also associated with coarse sediments and rocky areas. Occasionally, the species is observed in rice paddies, which are also coastal. It feeds mainly on small invertebrates (Billerman et al. 2026). Information on its diet in Portugal is very scarce, although there is evidence that it feeds on gastropods (Lourenço 2019).

Threats and conservation

Several threats to the species have been identified globally; however, the extent of their effects is unknown (BirdLife International 2025). Habitat degradation and conversion appear to be two of the main threats in the areas used during migration and wintering. In Portugal, the main threats are associated with disturbance at feeding and resting sites.