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Red Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicariusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)
Codes: Common Name: REPH Scientific Name: PHAFUC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176734
Least Concern
 
Red Phalarope Breeding Adult
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Overview

Red Phalarope: Medium-sized sandpiper with dark gray upperparts and rufous neck and underparts. Head has white face, black cap, and a thick, straight, yellow bill with black tip. Feeds on small fish, insects and aquatic invertebrates. Flight is swift and direct with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Red Phalarope: Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada; migrates along both coasts, very rarely in interior. Winters mainly at sea in Southern Hemisphere; irregular along the Pacific coast.

Topo Map: Sandpiper-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"twik", "clink-clink"

Interesting Facts

 The Red Phalarope is known in Europe as the Grey Phalarope. It is the most pelagic of the 3 phalarope species, spending up to 11 months each year in marine habitats.

 Females are larger and more brightly colored than males. The females pursue males, competes for nesting territory, and will aggressively defend their nests and chosen mates.

 When feeding, it will often swim in a small, rapid circle, forming a small whirlpool. This behavior is thought to aid feeding by raising food from the bottom of shallow water.

 A group of phalaropes has many collective nouns, including a "dopping", "swirl", "twirl", "whirl", and "whirligig" of phalaropes.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Imran Kahn

Splitbar
Range Map for Red Phalarope

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Family Sandpiper (Scolopacidae)_blue
Species Phalaropus fulicarius
Length8 - 9 Inches
Wingspan15 Inches

Red Phalarope

Red Phalarope: Medium-sized sandpiper with dark gray upperparts and rufous neck and underparts. Head has white face, black cap, and a thick, straight, yellow bill with black tip. Feeds on small fish, insects and aquatic invertebrates. Flight is swift and direct with rapid wing beats.

● Song: "twik", "clink-clink"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red Phalarope: Feeds on insects, small mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic worms, plankton, and small fish. Wades into water to forage; finds food on surface and in shallows.

● Breeding & nesting: Red Phalarope: Three to four olive green eggs blotched with black or brown are laid in a shallow scrape on the ground lined with grass, lichens, and moss. Incubation ranges from 18 to 20 days and is carried out by the male.

● Similar species: Red Phalarope: Red-necked Phalarope has a longer, thinner, black bill. Stilt Sandpiper has longer legs, dark streaks on breast and flanks, and lacks gray patch around the eye. Wilson's Phalarope lacks wing stripe, has a white rump and tail, and longer bill.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Red Phalarope Breeding Adult Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Red Phalarope: Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada; migrates along both coasts, very rarely in interior. Winters mainly at sea in Southern Hemisphere; irregular along the Pacific coast.
BreedingPromiscuous, Polyandrous
PopulationYes but uncommon
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.8 Ounces
Sandpiper-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
PelagicX
The pelagic is a type of bird whose habitat is on the open ocean rather than in a coastal region or on inland bodies of water (lakes, rivers). An example of a pelagic bird is the blacklegged kittiwake.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX