Phalarope
A phalarope is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae.
| Phalarope | |
|---|---|
| Female red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) in breeding plumage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Phalaropus Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Tringa fulicaria Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
|
Phalaropus fulicarius | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Steganopus | |
Phalaropes are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the Actitis and Terek sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids. They are especially notable for their unusual nesting behavior and their unique feeding technique.
Two species, the red or grey phalarope (P. fulicarius) and the red-necked phalarope (P. lobatus) breed around the Arctic Circle and winter on tropical oceans. Wilson's phalarope (P. tricolor) breeds in western North America and migrates to South America. All are 15–25 cm (6–10 in) in length, with lobed toes and a straight, slender bill. Predominantly grey and white in winter, their plumage develops reddish markings in summer.