Andrew Bennett

High-arctic wader rarely found away from the coast, and one of the longest-distance migratory waders. It breeds along high-arctic coasts of the Nearctic and Palearctic regions, and throughout Scandinavia and winters along the coasts of all continents, except extreme South America and Antarctica. Two known subspecies, but only nominate present in Europe and Africa.

Season of assessment

W

Population trendStable
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		57200-67300,61400
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Ruddy Turnstone

Turntone use two major flyways: one linking NE Canada and Greenland to NW Europe, in a NW-SE direction and the other linking NE Europe to SW Europe and West Africa, in a NE-SW direction. All birds encountered in arctic Canada and Greenland winter along the coasts of SW, W and NW Europe. Birds breeding in the N, E and C regions, and most birds from the W, are encountered in SW Europe and West Africa, with a few recoveries down to Gabon. There is one record recovery in South Africa of a bird ringed in Poland – a distance of nearly 10,000 km!

Recoveries by Condition for Ruddy Turnstone

There were very few recoveries before 1961 and only 7% were on live birds.  Since 1991 96% of recoveries are of live birds, mainly as a reuslt of metal-or colour rings read in the field. The major increase in numbers of recoveries is from 2000 onwards.

Annual Movements for Ruddy Turnstone

Turnstones wintering along western European coasts breed in Greenland and NE Canada, while those breeding in N Europe migrate via the North Sea coasts, a major refuelling region, continuing south to the African moulting and wintering grounds (Branson et al. 1978). In Poland, migrating juveniles are captured from early Aug-end of Sep (Meissner and Koziróg 2000).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Ruddy Turnstone

Spring departures from Iceland to the Nearctic breeding grounds occur mainly at the end of May (Alerstam et al. 1990), and recoveries in Greenland and Canada are in May-Aug. Birds breeding in the N region are present in West Africa Aug-May, and on their breeding grounds in northern Scandinavia Ma-Aug, with movements across Europe mainly in Apr-May and Sep.

Frédéric Jiguet

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Alerstam, T., Gudmundsson, G. A., Jönsson, P. E., Karlsson, J., & Lindström, Å.1990 . Orientation, Migration Routes and Flight Behaviour of Knots, Turnstones and Brant Geese Departing from Iceland in Spring. Arctic 43: 201–214http://www.jstor.org/stable/40511259
Branson, N.J.B.A., Ponting, E.D., Minton, C.D.T.1978 . Turnstone Migrations in Britain and Europe. Bird Study 25 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657809476593) : 181–187
Meissner, W., Koziróg, L.2000 . Autumn migration of Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) through the Gulf of Gdańsk. Not. Orn. 41

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