Arenaria melanocephala

Breeds coastal Alaska; winters se Alaska to nw Mexico.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Non-breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDS: locally along western and southern Alaska coast (see map in Handel and Gill 1992); 85% (61,000-99,000 birds) nest on the central Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; about 15,000 others nest elsewhere (Handel and Gill 1992); nonbreeding birds may be found in summer in wintering range. WINTERS: south-coastal and southeastern Alaska south along Pacific coast to southern Baja California and central Sonora, Mexico (AOU 1983).

Length: 24 cm

Weight: 134 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Marine

Depth range based on 31 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 3 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): 15.174 - 16.316
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.240 - 0.604
  Salinity (PPS): 33.311 - 33.496
  Oxygen (ml/l): 5.685 - 5.858
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.330 - 0.407
  Silicate (umol/l): 1.436 - 2.773

Graphical representation

Temperature range (°C): 15.174 - 16.316

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.240 - 0.604

Salinity (PPS): 33.311 - 33.496

Oxygen (ml/l): 5.685 - 5.858

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.330 - 0.407

Silicate (umol/l): 1.436 - 2.773
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Comments: Nonbreeding: rocky seacoasts and offshore islets, less frequently in seaweed on sandy beaches and tidal mudflats (AOU 1983). Nests mainly in salt-grass tundra; breeds along the coast or on offshore islands. Most of the breeding population is concentrated in a narrow band of salt grass, graminoid, and dwarf shrub meadows within 2 km of the coast; highest breeding densities occur in coastal salt grass meadows and lowest densities in dwarf shrub mat tundra; breeding densities in mixed graminoid and dwarf shrub meadows decline significantly with distance fom the coast (Handel and Gill 1992). Nests on the ground in a depression in a grassy area.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Begins migrating north along California coast in early April.

Comments: Feeds along rocky coasts. Feeds on slugs, mollusks, and crustaceans. Inspects seaweeds for small marine animals. May also eat berries (Bent 1929).

Arenaria melanocephala (Black Turnstone) preys on:
Gigartina agardhii
Endocladia muricata
Littorina scutulata
Acmaea digitalis
Acmaea pelta
Acmaea scabra
Cyanoplax dientens
Dynamenella glabra
Allochertes ptilocerus
Hyale
Diaulota densissima
Balanus glandula
Pachygrapsus crassipes

Based on studies in:
USA: California, Monterey Bay (Littoral, Rocky shore)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

10,000 - 100,000 individuals

Comments: Morrison et al. (2001) estimate the total population to be 80,000 (range 61,000-99,000).

Breeding density in optimal conditions is 1.11 birds/ha (Handel and Gill 1992).

Kelp restoration along the California coast apparently has enhanced local wintering population through augmented feeding substrate (algal wrack) (Condor 95:372-376).

Breeds from early May to late July. Four eggs incubated for 21 days (probably incubated by both sexes since both have incubation patches) (Terres 1980). Nestlings are precocial.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 3
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

Download FASTA File

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5N - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure