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How do turnstones find food beneath stones and debris?

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Illustration of a crab plover (Dromas ardeola), showing a slender wading bird with long legs, a long pointed black bill, white head and underparts, and contrasting black wings and back. — Charadriiform Crab plover (Dromas ardeola)

Turnstones (genus Arenaria) are shorebirds that habitually flip over stones, shells, vegetation, debris, and soil to access the animal life hidden underneath. They accomplish this using their short, flattened bills, which are slightly recurved (upturned at the tip) and feature a straight upper edge specifically adapted for this foraging behavior.12