Phalaropus tricolor
The Wilson's Phalarope, *Phalaropus tricolor*, is an elegant and distinctly marked shorebird, notable for its striking sexual dimorphism and unique sex-role reversal. Measuring approximately 22-24 cm (8.7-9.4 inches) in length with a wingspan of 38-43 cm (15-17 inches) and weighing 35-40g, it is the largest of the three phalarope species. Breeding females are more brightly colored than males, boasting a vibrant chestnut stripe on the neck and back, a black eye-patch, a white throat, and a gre...
Wilson's Phalaropes primarily inhabit shallow, often saline or alkaline wetlands, marshes, and prairie potholes during the breeding season. They prefer open water with sparse vegetation at low to moderate elevations.
Their diet consists primarily of aquatic insects, such as brine flies and their larvae, beetles, and small crustaceans like brine shrimp. They forage by pecking at the water's surface, often employing their distinctive spinning technique to bring prey within reach.
Wilson's Phalaropes are largely diurnal, actively foraging during daylight hours, and often roost communally in open water at night. Their most iconic foraging strategy involves a distinctive 'spinning' motion, where they rapidly pivot in circles on the water's surface, creating a vortex that sti...
Wilson's Phalaropes breed across the interior of North America, primarily in the Canadian Prairies, the Great Plains of the United States, and parts of the Intermountain West, from southern British Columbia east to southwestern Manitoba, and south through North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah....
Least Concern
- Wilson's Phalaropes exhibit a remarkable sex-role reversal, where the females are more brightly colored, actively court males, and leave all incubation and chick-rearing duties to the male. - This is the only phalarope species found exclusively in the Americas. - They are famous for their uniqu...