Black Turnstones are a year-round coastal species, nesting mostly in a narrow band of sedge tundra in western Alaska and overwintering along the rocky shorelines of the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. In Canada, this species is common in winter along the coast of British Columbia. There appears to have been little change in the number of birds using Canadian shorelines relative to about 1970. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Degradation of both nesting and overwintering habitats from petroleum contamination and human disturbance are currently the most significant threats for Black Turnstones (Handel and Gill 2001). In Canada, British Columbia has high jurisdictional responsibility for several rocky intertidal shorebird species, including the Black Turnstone, with large proportions of their wintering range in the province (Gratto-Trevor et al. 2011).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.