The Wilson’s Phalarope is one of the most elegant and fascinating waterbirds in North America. Their gracefully pointed tails and slender necks give them an appearance resembling a miniature swan. The two sexes reverse roles during the breeding seasons. Brightly colored breeding females are larger, compete for mates, and may take on more than a single mate at times, while the males are responsible for incubating the eggs and raising the young.
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Red Phalarope
Out of the three Phalarope species in North America, the Red Phalarope spends the maximum amount of time in marine habitats. They may spend up to 11 months each year in these habitats, with their migratory routes also taking them over open waters. They also tend to feed on smaller invertebrate prey as compared to the closely related Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, being heavily dependent on the crustaceans that are left behind in mud plumes created by benthic-foraging gray whales.
Continue reading Red PhalaropeRed-necked Phalarope
The Red-necked Phalarope is the smallest Phalarope in North America which are hardly ever seen due to their preference of the most remote locations. They breed in the frozen lands of the high Arctic and choose to head to the open seas to spend their winters in. Their choice of habitats means that they hardly ever come on land and that there is insufficient data on many aspects of their life. This also means that they are not very scared of human beings, as they have had very little interaction with them.
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