Birds of Colombia

    CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae (Sandpipers, Snipes)  
Genus: Phalaropus (3 species, 3 worldwide)


Red Phalarope
Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)
Vercellese, Italy
  Breeding plumage. Male and female Red Phalaropes are similar.
   
Photograph by Francesco Veronesi     Copyright and usage info

Red Phalarope
Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)
  Non-breeding plumage. Note two colored bill. Image credit: Peter Pearsall/USFWS
   
Photograph by U.S. Government employee (see below)     Copyright and usage info

The mid-sized phalarope of three. Generally out at sea and rarely seen. Similar to the Red-necked Phalarope in non-breeding plumage, but has a slightly shorter thicker bill that is not all black. Non-breeding Wilson's Phalarope is all grey.

Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
Morro Bay, California, United States
  Breeding plumage. Both sexes, unlike other phalaropes, have a red nape.
   
Photograph by Mike Baird     Copyright and usage info

Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
Beaumaris Lake, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  Non-breeding plumage. Note dark ear mark (vs. Wilson's Phalarope) and thin black needle bill (vs. Red Phalarope).
   
Photograph by dfaulder     Copyright and usage info

The smallest phalarope.

Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) Male
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  Breeding plumage.
   
Photograph by Nigel from Vancouver     Copyright and usage info

Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) Female
Vancouver, Canada
  Breeding plumage.
   
Photograph by Nigel from Vancouver     Copyright and usage info

The male is less colorful and marked differently than the female (and tends the nest). In non-breeding plumage both sexes are all greyish, unlike the other phalarope species which have black marks. Wilson's Phalarope is the largest phalarope species.


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