Wilson's Phalarope

Status Uncommon transient. A sight record of a bird on 9 June 1905 (Bouteillier 1906) was the first for the province. This western species was again recorded by Gross (1937), who observed ten birds "critically for a positive identification" off the Nova Scotia coast on 19 June 1934. The next sighting was on 4 November 1955 by Morrill Richardson, who saw one offshore from Bon Portage Island. There were two separate reports of individuals in September 1959, three birds together in September 1961, and one in September 1969; the species has occurred annually since 1969 in ones and twos, sometimes in small groups of up to six. Most have been on Brier, Cape Sable, Sable and Seal islands, with other scattered reports from throughout the province. There have been ten spring individuals, all between 13 and 27 May, except for one female on Sable Island on 13 June 1976. A female was seen on John Lusby Marsh, Cumberland County, on 5 July 1980, and a male and two juveniles were repeatedly observed there that year between 16 July and 9 August. However, most of our records are clearly of fall migrants, of which about 110 have been seen since 1969, mostly from mid-August to mid-September, with extreme dates of 19 July to 15 November.

Description Length: 20-24 cm. Adult female in summer: A conspicuous black eyestripe extends down the sides of the neck to the upper breast, where it becomes rich brick red and extends onto back; head, upper neck and back are pale gray; upper wings dark brown with paler striations; rump white; tail gray, tipped with white; underparts mostly white. Adult male: Similar but duller. Adults in winter: Head, upper neck, back and tail gray; dark stripe on the face and neck is absent; wings brownish gray, striated; underparts white.

Range Breeds in the interior of North America east of the Rockies, principally on the prairies but recently extending east to southern Quebec and the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border. Winters on the pampas of southern South America.

Remarks Wilson's Phalarope may be distinguished from the other two phalaropes by its white rump, the absence of white in the wing and its longer, thinner bill. Unlike the others, this species occurs at sea only on passage between its summer and winter quarters. One route passes along the Pacific coast; the other runs by way of the southeastern United States and the West Indies. The bird's normal range in the Atlantic is thus well south of Nova Scotia. Our offshore sightings in June, at sea and on Sable Island, are puzzling.

Although there is no proof of breeding in the province, the 1980 observations near the New Brunswick border and subsequent late July sightings in that area suggest that breeding has occurred.

The three phalaropes are unique among North American birds, the females being larger and more brightly coloured than the males. The females are the more dominant sex, defending territories and pursuing the males ardently when courtship is underway on the nesting grounds. She lays the eggs in a nest the male has prepared. When the last egg has been deposited, however, he immediately takes over the monotonous task of incubation; when the young appear, their welfare is his responsibility. On rare occasions, the female will assist him, showing motherly interest in her young ones.