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Slender shorebird known for spinning frantically on water to stir up small invertebrates.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilySandpipers and Allies
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatMudflats, saltmarsh, estuaries, beaches, lagoons, and shallow inland wetlands.
Best timePeak activity in Feb, Jan, Nov. Low tide on the coast or calm morning conditions at inland wetlands.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Skyler Bol
Range map
Range map
No mapped hotspots are available in the visible area for the selected window.
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Note needle-thin bill, longer and thinner than other phalaropes. Breeding females are brighter and more contrasting than males: note gray cap, peachy-orange neck with broad black stripe, and gray-and-rufous back. Males are duller with plainer grayish-brown upperparts and a less distinct dark neck stripe. Nonbreeding birds are very pale gray above and white below with a rather plain face and yellowish legs. Juveniles show crisp buffy edges on wing feathers. Can mix with Red-necked Phalarope; Wilson’s is larger, lankier, and longer-billed. Never on the open ocean. Most common in western North America; uncommon to rare in the east. Winters as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
Behavior
Prefers shallow ponds, marshes, and lakes, sometimes in large flocks. Feeds frantically, more often on land than other phalaropes.
Gallery