Wilson's Phalarope is the largest phalarope and the only one that lacks webbed feet, breeding inland on prairie wetlands rather than at sea. Like all phalaropes, roles are reversed — the more colorful female establishes territory, courts the male, and leaves him to incubate and raise the young. It feeds by spinning rapidly on the water surface to create a vortex that draws prey upward.
Best time to see a Wilson's Phalarope
The best time to see a Wilson's Phalarope is April–June, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 9,255 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Wilson's Phalarope? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Wilson's Phalarope sightings near you
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