Phalaropes

The family, SCOLOPACIDAE, is made up of sixteen genera split between seven subfamilies. This page covers the subfamily PHALAROPODINAE in which there are three species in the genus Phalaropus.

Family: SCOLOPACIDAE (Rafinesque 1815)

Subfamily: PHALAROPODINAE (Bonaparte 1831)

Genus: Phalaropus –  Greek: phalaris coot; pous foot).

Distribution

• Europe; Red-necked and Grey Phalarope.
• Asia; Red-necked and Grey Phalarope.
• Africa; Red-necked and Grey Phalarope.
• North America; Wilson’s, Red-necked and Grey Phalarope.
• Central and South America; Wilson’s, Red-necked and Grey Phalarope.

Current Taxonomy:

• Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor (Vieillot 1819)
• Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus 1758)
• Grey Phalarope P. fulicarius (Linnaeus 1758)

Past Taxonomy: Has been very confusing due to this families apparent affinities to other groups such as rails and true snipes.

• Wilson’s Phalarope formerly given monotypic genus Steganopus (Vieillot 1818) Greek; stegaopus web-footed (stegane covering; pous foot).

Bibliography

• BirdLife International: IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/03/2020.
• del Hoyo, Josep, Andrew Elliot & Jordi Sargatal: Handbook of the Birds of the World – Vol. 3 (1996)
• Hayman, Peter, John Marchant & Tony Prater: Shorebirds – An identification guide to the waders of the world (1986)
• Jobling, James A.: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names (2010)
• Seebohm, Henry: The Geographical Distribution of the Family Charadriidae, or, The Plovers, Sandpipers, Snipes, and Their Allies (1888)

Click on an image for more information about the individual species.