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Phalaropus tricolor

(Wilson's Phalarope)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Grote franjepoot

Common Names in English:

summer phalarope, Wilson's Phalarope

Common Names in French:

Phalarope de Wilson

Common Names in German:

Wilsonwassertreter

Common Names in Japanese:

アメリカヒレアシシギ

Common Names in Spanish:

Falaropo pico largo

Description

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Physical Description

Adult : Bill: black Shape : needlelike Neck: Length : long Body: Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small.Adult Female: Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Length: long Body: Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small.Adult Female Breeding Season : Head : Crown: pale gray Face : Eye Stripe: black Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Hindneck: pale gray Length: long Sides: black stripe Body: Back: chestnut stripe down each side Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small.Adult Female Summer: Head: Crown: pale gray Face: Eyebrow Line : white mark above eye Neck: broad black stripe runs down back of neck, fading to reddish chestnut; front of neck is pale gray, with an orange wash on front edge of black stripe Legs : Foot Color: black Leg Color: black.Adult Male: Head: Crown: brownish-gray Face: Eye Stripe: dusky Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Length: long Sides: trace of chestnut at base Body: Mantle: brownish-gray Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small Legs: Leg Color: black.Adult Male Breeding Season: Head: Crown: brownish-gray Face: Eye Stripe: dusky Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Length: long Sides: trace of chestnut at base Body: Mantle: brownish-gray Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small Legs: Leg Color: black.Adult Male Summer: Face: Cheeks: white Chin: white Bill: Length: long Shape: needle-shaped Body: Underparts: white Upperparts: brownish black Legs: Foot Color: dark yellow Leg Color: dark yellow.Adult Winter: Head: Crown: gray Face: Eye Stripe: gray Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Hindneck: gray Length: long Body: Rump : white Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small Underparts: white Upperparts: gray Legs: Leg Color: yellow Wings : Remiges : dusky Tail: pale gray.Immature: Head: Crown: gray Face: Eye Stripe: gray Bill: black Shape: needlelike Neck: Hindneck: gray Length: long Body: Rump: white Shape: slender, long-bodied Size: fairly small Underparts: white Upperparts: gray Legs: Leg Color: yellow Wings: Remiges: dusky Tail: pale gray.

Color:

Adult female alternate: Black legs · Pale gray crown and nape, hindneck whiter · Thick, dark eyeline extends down neck, becoming chestnut, and turns onto back, forming V · White throat and supercilium · Rich rusty foreneck · White breast and belly · Gray back and upperwings · Rusty stripe at base of wings

Adult male alternate: Plumage duller than in female alternate · Black legs · Dark brown crown and eyeline, extending down neck and onto back · Back and upperwings gray-brown · White throat, supercilium, and hindneck · Pale rusty foreneck · White breast and belly

Adult basic: Yellowish legs · Gray crown, hindneck, and back · Pale face with variable black stripe through eye · White throat, breast and belly

Juvenile : Similar to the basic-plumaged adult but browner · More distinct face pattern with a prominent dark cap and dark eye stripe · Buffy wash to the neck and chest · Pale buffy edges to feathers on back and upperwing coverts

Size/Age/Growth

About 8 to 9.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 14.5 to 16 inches. Adults weigh about 2.4 ounces .

Habitat

Usually seen on fresh water ponds .

Vegetation: freshwater lakes and ponds, alkaline lakes, freshwater marshes, saltwater and brackish marshes • Maximum Elevation: 4,100 meters • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Medium

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,787 meters (0 to 12,425 feet).[1]

Biology

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Diet

Primarily insects, with some aquatic invertebrates and seeds.

Reproduction

Migration

Migratory

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Phalaropus tricolor Vieillot 1819

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 18-Jan-2005

Similar Species

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Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-Necked Phalarope

Members of the genus Phalaropus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. fulicaria (Flat-Billed Phalarope) · P. fulicarius (Flat-Billed Phalarope) · P. lobatus (Hyperborean Phalarope) · P. tricolor (Wilson's Phalarope)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 11, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = 848.960 meters (2,785.302 feet), Standard Deviation = 742.350 based on 5,165 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 5/19/2012