Wilson’s Phalarope: Order-Chadardriforms; Family-Scolopacidae; Species-Phalaropus tricolor
I usually take a photo trip to Alberta during spring and fall migration periods, and was out on an early, somewhat cool, May morning in 2012. Encountering these birds was a bit of luck as I had finished checking out most of my favourite locations, and was ready to head back to Cochrane. This small prairie slough was located directly adjacent to a Trans Canada Highway on ramp and I certainly wasn’t expecting to come across Wilson’s Phalaropes at this location. One of the advantages I find to photographing birds in the spring, is you can usually find mated pairs, at any one location.
I usually take a photo trip to Alberta during spring and fall migration periods, and was out on an early, somewhat cool, May morning in 2012. Encountering these birds was a bit of luck as I had finished checking out most of my favourite locations, and was ready to head back to Cochrane. This small prairie slough was located directly adjacent to a Trans Canada Highway on ramp and I certainly wasn’t expecting to come across Wilson’s Phalaropes at this location. One of the advantages I find to photographing birds in the spring, is you can usually find mated pairs, at any one location.
A truly American phalarope, Wilson’s is the largest of the three phalarope species. As you can see from the mages below this is one of only a few species in which the females tend to have more colourful plumage than the males. Unlike its two relatives, it does not breed in the Arctic, but in the shallow wetlands of western North America, and winters mainly in continental habitats of Bolivia and Argentina instead of in the ocean. This species can be found employing the feeding technique of spinning in shallow water to churn up adult and larval aquatic insects, or running in various directions on muddy wetland edges with its head held low to the ground while chasing and picking up insects. This bird is quite tolerant of humans on its breeding grounds, but this attitude changes immediately before migration, as it has gained weight and its movement becomes sluggish.
Female Wilson's Phalarope
Male Wilson's Phalarope
Voice: Flight call a low nasal werf; also higher, repetitive emf, emf, emf , emf or luk, luk, luk.
Nesting: Simple scrape lined with grass; 4 eggs; 1 brood; May-June.
Feeding: Eats brine shrimp, various insects, and insect larvae.
Occurrence: Breeds in shallow, grassy wetlands of interior North America; during migration and winter, occurs in salty lakes and saline ponds as well as inland water bodies. In winter, tens of thousands can be seen in the middle of Titicaca Lake in Bolivia.
(Taken from Birds of Canada-David M Bird, Ph.D. First Edition 2010)
NOTE: I hope you enjoyed and found this post interesting and informative. Please leave your feedback comments below, as I would like to make posts one of this type a regular feature on the web site. Thank you.
Nesting: Simple scrape lined with grass; 4 eggs; 1 brood; May-June.
Feeding: Eats brine shrimp, various insects, and insect larvae.
Occurrence: Breeds in shallow, grassy wetlands of interior North America; during migration and winter, occurs in salty lakes and saline ponds as well as inland water bodies. In winter, tens of thousands can be seen in the middle of Titicaca Lake in Bolivia.
(Taken from Birds of Canada-David M Bird, Ph.D. First Edition 2010)
NOTE: I hope you enjoyed and found this post interesting and informative. Please leave your feedback comments below, as I would like to make posts one of this type a regular feature on the web site. Thank you.