# Wilson's Phalarope (*Phalaropus tricolor*) Wilson's Phalarope is a beautiful bird known for its graceful swimming. It has long legs and a slender body, making it perfect for catching tiny food in the water. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Wilson's Phalarope](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phalaropus_tricolor_Ork_02.jpg&width=800) Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phalaropus_tricolor_Ork_02.jpg) ## Appearance The Wilson's Phalarope has a slender body with needle-like bill and noticeably long legs. Breeding females display a striking black eye stripe and chestnut neck stripe, contrasting with a grey back and white underparts. Males are similar but duller, and winter birds are plain grey and white. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Phalaropus ## Interesting facts - After laying eggs, the female Phalarope flies off to find another mate! - Sometimes, hundreds of thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes gather at super-salty lakes. - These amazing birds migrate thousands of miles from North America to South America each year! - They have special padded feet that help them float high on the water's surface. ## Special abilities - **Whirlpool Weaver:** Wilson's Phalarope can spin rapidly in circles, creating whirlpools that bring tiny prey items closer to the surface for easy feeding. - **Role Reversal Parent:** Wilson's Phalarope females are brighter and leave the males to incubate all the eggs and care for the newly hatched chicks. - **Salty Survivor:** Wilson's Phalarope has special kidneys that help it drink and thrive in extremely salty, alkaline water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-24 cm - **Wingspan:** 35-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.03-0.07 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-4 - **Incubation:** 18-21 days - **Migration Distance:** 10000 km ## Diet & Feeding They mostly eat tiny insects and crustaceans found in water. - **Primary Foods:** brine shrimp, brine flies, water boatmen, beetle larvae, mosquito larvae - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** brine shrimp (*Artemia salina*) — A key food source in saline lakes. - **Eats:** brine fly (*Ephydra hians*) — The adults and larvae are a primary food. - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Fast raptor preys on migrating phalaropes. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wilson's Phalarope? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Wilson's Phalarope? 20-24 cm ### What is Wilson's Phalarope's wingspan? 35-40 cm ### How much does Wilson's Phalarope weigh? 0.03-0.07 kg ### How long does Wilson's Phalarope live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Wilson's Phalarope move? 50 km/h ### What does Wilson's Phalarope eat? They mostly eat tiny insects and crustaceans found in water. ### Where is Wilson's Phalarope usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Sod House Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sod-house-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site - [Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gavins-point-national-fish-hatchery) — South Dakota, US · Nature Reserve - [Grand Coulee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-coulee) — Washington, US · Natural Landmark - [Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/organ-mountains-desert-peaks-national-monument) — New Mexico, US · National Park [View all places to see Wilson's Phalarope](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wilsons-phalarope) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Wilson's Phalarope: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wilsons-phalarope)