Ruddy Turnstone

21-25 cm. Tubby, distinctive wader with slightly upturned, short black bill and short orange legs. Breeding Plumage: unmistakable -black, white and orange tortoise-shell pattern; male brighter than female. Non-breeding: grey-brown above, white below with smutty black 'cloverleaf' bib on upperbreast; legs orange; often has traces of orange in upperparts. Immature: like nonbreeding adult, but more dusky, with scaly pattern of pale feather margins. Solitary, small parties or with other waders; abundant in Gt Barrier Reef (Q) and Roebuck Bay (WA), where winter flocks of 20-200+ gather. Potters slowly, or bustles, flipping shells and bulldozing heaps of seaweed with bill. Sturdy on wing, with frequent noisy aerial chases, showing conspicuous white wing-panel, white lower back and tail crossed by two black bars.