Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

It really does flip stones looking for food, and 'ruddy' is its rusty back. Its scientific name, interpres, means 'interpreter' thanks to a mix-up: Linnaeus, the Swedish scientist behind the modern system of scientific names, took a local Swedish word to mean that, when it really meant 'legs.'

Arenaria means 'inhabiting sand'; interpres means 'interpreter' or 'messenger.'