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Red Phalarope
(Phalaropus fulicarius)
: "Grey Phalarope"
German name(s): "Thorshühnchen"
Size: 20-22 cm; wing span: 36-43 cm
Weight: 55 g (average)
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Red Phalaropes are small, relatively short-legged waders.
During the breeding season their
plumage
is dimorphic,
i.e.
males and
females
are slightly different.
Females in
breeding
plumage
have white sides to the head that are bordered by a dark-grey
chin, frons, cap and hindneck. The sides of the neck and the
entire front are rust-red.
Male Red Phalaropes
are paler and have less colour contrast than
females,
with less white on the sides of the head and a paler brown front
with some creamy barring.
Both sexes have black wing feathers with wide buff edges.
In eclipse
the two sexes are alike.
The head is white, except for black bars on the ear coverts
and a black hindcap and hindneck. The front is white, while
the upperparts are plain grey.
The irises are dark, while the short, straight and strong bill is
dark-grey in eclipse.
It changes colour during the breeding season. In
males the front half remains dark, while the base turns yellow,
while in
females
most of the bill turns yellow, with only a small dark tip remaining.
The rather short legs and feet are greenish-grey.
Juveniles
have a buff wash on the breast and black and buff streaking on cap,
nape of the neck and back. The upperwings are similar to those of
adults
in breeding plumage.
In the transition from juvenile to first-winter
plumage
they lose most of the buff wash, except some on the sides
of the neck, while the upperparts start to turn light-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Red
Phalarope at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Red Pharalope is available
HERE
.
Red Pharalopes are a strongly migratory species.
Their breeding range is inside the Arctic circle,
encompassing the northern coastline of Siberia
and the southern tip of Yuzhny Island, the northern
coastal regions of North America (Alaska and Canada,
including the northern half of the Hudson Bay), parts
of the eastern and western coastline of Greenland,
and parts of Svalbard in northern Europe.
They overwinter in the southern Atlantic and thee
southern Pacific, spending most of the time on the
open oceans. They are also found in coastal habitats
in southern South America, southern West Africa and
western South Africa.
During their migration they usually prefer coastal routes,
but they can occasionally also be found inland, e.g. in
central Europe and North America.
In Europe Red Phalaropes are summer breeding migrants to
parts of Svalbard.
During their migration they can occasionally be found
primarily along the coastlines of the Baltic Sea, the
North Sea and of the northern Atlantic. Occasionally
they are also found inland.
Red Phalaropes have a preference for breeding in coastal
wet tundra, usually near fresh or brackish water. During
migration they prefer coastal routes and habitats.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
G. Normand reports spotting a Red
Phalarope at Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris,
France, in October 2020.
In January 2023, J. Pires found Red
Phalaropes at Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal.
Others were found at Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego
estuary, Portugal, in January 2023.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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NON-BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a small mob of Red Phalaropes in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral view of a small mob of Red Phalaropes in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral comparison of a Red Phalarope in non-breeding
plumage in flight
with a European Shag
in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of a first-winter Red Phalarope
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral view of a first-winter Red Phalarope
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral view of a first-winter Red Phalarope, in comparison with a
Black-headed Gull
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral view of a first-winter Red Phalarope in flight, wings down
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, January 2023]
Lateral view of a first-winter Red Phalarope in flight, wings up
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, January 2023]
Near-lateral view of a Red Phalarope in transitional
plumage
from juvenile to first-winter - note how the wing coverts
are already light-grey, while the black primaries are
still juvenile feathers
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris, France, October 2020]
Near-lateral view of a Red Phalarope in transitional
plumage
from juvenile to first-winter
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris, France, October 2020]
Lateral view of a Red Phalarope in transitional
plumage
from juvenile to first-winter
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Parc des Buttes Chaumonts, 19th district, Paris, France, October 2020]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.