Phalaropus tricolor
Not only are phalaropes the most colorful of the shorebirds, they also are the most unusual. These intriguing birds practice a mating strategy known as polyandry-each female mates with several males-which is extremely rare throughout the animal kingdom. The brightly colored female phalarope defends the nest site from other females and leaves her mates to tend the eggs. This breeding strategy is unusual because it takes a massive amount of energy for a female to produce eggs, and most female birds want to protect their investment. Even Audubon was fooled by the phalarope's breeding habits; he mislabeled the female and male birds in all of his illustrations. This bird bears the name of Alexander Wilson, one of the fathers of North American ornithology. |
I.D.: General: dark, needle-like bill; chestnut throat; black eye line; white eyebrow; light gray underparts; black legs. Breeding female: gray cap; very sharp colors. Breeding male: dark cap; dull colors. Size: L 81/2-91/2 in. (22-24 cm). Range: common migrant and local summer breeder in the Rockies; uncommon migrant north of Wyoming. Habitat: Breeding: beaver ponds, sedge meadows and cattail marshes. In migration: open water of lakes and reservoirs. Nesting: typically on the Great Plains and in the western mountains; often near water; in a depression lined with grass and other vegetation; nest is often well concealed; male incubates the 4 eggs and rears the young. Feeding: whirls in tight circles in shallow or deep water, picking invertebrates from the water's surface or just below it; on land, makes short jabs to pick up food in open areas. Voice: deep nasal work work on the breeding grounds. Similar Species: Red-necked Phalarope: dark head and back; migrant through the Rockies. Lesser Yellowlegs: yellow legs; streaked underparts. |
