Characteristic of Red Phalarope is its relatively thick and tubular, straight, bicolored bill. In most seasons and plumages, the outer part of the bill is black and the inner half or the base has a hint of orange or yellow; see Fig. 5, Fig. 13.

In all plumages other than full breeding (alternate), Red Phalarope has a dark eye mask; see Fig. 3, Fig. 13.

The three phalarope species share a feeding behavior in shallow waters: The birds spin rapidly, repeatedly pecking at the water surface. The spinning action stirs up organisms in lower water strata, bringing food items up to the surface to be consumed; see Fig. 1.

Lobed toes are an adaptation for aquatic life. Phalarope toes are fringed by loose flaps of skin, which spread to provide forward motion in water; see Fig. 2.

Juvenile legs are pale—yellow or yellow-buff. As the juvenile matures, leg color darkens rapidly and become dark blue-gray in October or November; see Fig. 2.

Winter (basic) plumage is pale gray on the back (mantle) with darker wing tips. Each mantle feather has a very thin, pale margin. The face, crown and underparts are mostly white, with a gray wash and faint gray streaks on the sides of the chest and flanks. Seen from the back, a dark saddle-shaped patch extends from the back of the head down the nape and onto the upper back; see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3.

By mid-March, Red Phalaropes begin the molt to spring (alternate) plumage.

Young birds in their first spring often molt to a pre-alternate dark gray plumage with hints of color; see Fig. 4. These birds usually stay well south of the breeding areas during spring and summer months.

By April, adults in their second spring and later begin molting to colorful alternate plumage; see Fig. 5.

The female in breeding (alternate) plumage is by far the showier bird, sporting a blackish crown, contrasting white face patch, a bright rufous-red neck, breast, and underparts and a gray back streaked with white, orange and rufous. The male in breeding plumage is a subdued version of the female; see Fig. 6, Fig. 7.

The male in breeding plumage has a dark-streaked crown and light mottling or streaking on the rufous underparts; see Fig. 9.

On breeding (alternate) plumage birds, the entire tail is gray, accented with some rufous. This is most evident on flying birds; see Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9.

By midsummer, summer (alternate) plumage begins to be replaced by winter (basic) plumage. The molt is relatively rapid, unlike the other two phalarope species. In September, it is not unusual to see an almost fully molted adult Red Phalarope with a nearly all-gray back (mantle) sparsely streaked with darker gray feathers. The molting adult also loses its dark crown. Some rufous feathers may be retained on the underparts; see Fig. 10.

Fresh juvenile back (mantle) plumage is dark gray; mantle feathers are edged with crisp orange-rufous margins. The crown is blackish and remains so throughout the fall. The neck, breast and flanks have a smudgy orange-buff wash; see Fig. 11, Fig. 12.

As with the adult, orange-margined, dark juvenile mantle feathers are rapidly replaced by winter (basic) gray feathers; see Fig. 13.

In flight, Red Phalarope’s tail in winter (basic) or juvenile plumage displays a dark center and paler gray edges; see Fig. 3, Fig. 11, Fig. 19.

Underwings of Red Phalarope are white with a narrow dark border; see Fig. 3, Fig. 7, Fig. 16, Fig. 19.

Seen from above, Red Phalarope has thick, white upper wing stripes on the inner wings, narrowing sharply toward the wingtips; see Fig. 3, Fig. 8.

Like other phalaropes, Red Phalarope is thoroughly at home landing and feeding in water. Apart from the nesting season, most of its life is spent on open oceans worldwide, sometimes in the midst of large waves and oceanic storms.

Red Phalaropes are highly gregarious and tend to flock together, often along with the closely related Red-necked Phalaropes, in dense feeding or migrating groups over the ocean.

Red Phalarope breeding range is circumpolar; it nests in high arctic regions of northern continents. In North America, the breeding range covers western and northern Alaska, northern Canada including Baffin Island and most of the northern Canadian archipelago. East of Hudson Bay, nesting occurs in northern Ungava, northern Quebec and the northern Labrador coast.

Red Phalarope nests on the ground. Nesting habitat is coastal tundra.

On the breeding grounds, females compete among one another for male selection; see Fig. 7.

The female lays a clutch of eggs, then leaves the male to incubate them. Sometimes a female continues to court additional males and, occasionally, lay additional clutches.

The male alone incubates the eggs and spends a short time tending to the hatched chicks by brooding and guarding against predators.

Female Red Phalaropes and nonbreeding males depart the nesting grounds and head to the ocean in mid- to late June. Incubating males follow in mid-July. Juveniles follow in early September.

Flocks of migrating Red Phalaropes follow the coastlines of North America southward, flying dozens to hundreds of miles offshore. Formerly, large numbers staged in Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, in August and September. These numbers, along with vast numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes seen formerly, have diminished drastically in recent years. Currently, in the fall, Red Phalaropes outnumber the Red-necked in the Gulf of Maine.

East Coast migrants winter primarily off the coast of southeastern United States (Carolinas, Georgia, Florida) and east of the Caribbean archipelago.

West Coast migrants winter in a narrow band off the coast of subtropical and tropical Americas from southern California to Chile; the major concentration is in the tropics off Peru and Ecuador.

Most Palearctic Red Phalaropes appear to winter off the coast of western Africa.

Spring migration for Red Phalaropes begins in late March or early April and is largely over the ocean. Once the birds reach far northern latitudes, they cross over some coastal areas to reach their breeding regions.

Eastern birds in North America migrate along the coast in May and are sometimes blown ashore during intense storms.

Red Phalaropes forage primarily while swimming, but they are also able to glean food from terrestrial vegetation while walking or wading.

When foraging in shallow water, phalaropes often spin around (reputedly only counterclockwise) to stir up food.

Surface-feeding whales often attract flocks of Red Phalaropes; the phalaropes pick at tiny invertebrates and other food items stirred up by whale activity.

Major food items for nesting birds consist of midges, crane flies, beetles, water insects and spiders. Some plant seeds are also eaten.

Red Phalarope usually migrates from its breeding areas directly to sea. When and if some arrive at saline lakes during migration, their diet is primarily alkaline fly adults and larvae.

In pelagic environments during migration and the winter, food consists of oceanic species and marine invertebrates that are found at ocean fronts. Ocean fronts are narrow bands within the ocean environment where water masses with different temperature or salinity come in contact. Upwelling water in such locations brings large amounts of food to the surface.

Red Phalarope (REPH) is larger than Red-necked Phalarope (RNPH). For comparison images, see Fig. 14, Fig. 15, Fig. 16, Fig. 17.

Note the following:

• Red Phalarope’s bill is thick and tubular; the base of the bill is often pale. Red-necked Phalarope’s bill is needle-thin, pointed and black.
• In breeding (alternate) plumage, Red Phalarope has a blackish cap, red or rufous-red neck and body and a white face. Red-necked Phalarope has a dark face and crown with a contrasting white chin.
• Red Phalarope molts quickly in late summer and is mostly pale gray-backed during fall migration. Red-necked Phalarope molts throughout late summer and fall; during those seasons, adults and juveniles are streaked with dark gray on the back (mantle).
• In flight in all plumages, Red Phalarope displays a paler mantle with bolder white wing stripes. Red-necked has plain, dark gray upper wings with narrow white stripes.
• Red Phalarope’s underwing is unmarked white. Red-necked has a dark bar on the underwing.

Red Phalarope (REPH) is considerably smaller than Wilson’s Phalarope (WIPH). Red Phalarope’s bill is thick and tubular, usually with a pale base; Wilson’s bill is long, black and needle shaped. For comparison, see Fig. 18.

Note the following:

• Adult Red Phalarope with its all-red body and black head with white face patch is unmistakable. Adult Wilson’s is pale-bodied with bold black and rufous stripes up the side of the neck; the crown is pale blue-gray.
• In late summer and fall, adult Red and Wilson’s phalaropes molt rapidly to gray winter (basic) plumage on the back (mantle). Red Phalarope often retains some rufous feathers; its eye mask is dark, nearly black. Wilson’s has a gray eyeline.
• Juvenile Red has a dark, streaked cap and blackish eye mask. Juvenile Wilson’s has a gray cap and gray eye line.
• Juvenile Red’s back (mantle) feathers are dark with crisp orange margins; Wilson’s mantle has scalloped patterning typical of juvenile sandpipers.
• In winter (basic) plumage, Red’s blackish eye mask sets it apart from Wilson’s with its gray eye line.
• Juvenile Red has pale legs for a short time; legs become dark gray or black by mid-fall. Juvenile Wilson’s legs remain pale well into winter.
• In flight, Red Phalarope displays white wing stripes and a dark-centered tail; Wilson’s has plain gray upper wings and a mostly pale tail.

Red Phalarope (REPH) is slightly larger than Sanderling (SAND). In breeding (alternate) plumage, there is almost no chance of confusing the two species. The phalarope is blackish on the crown with an all-rufous body and white face patch. Sanderling is big-headed with a white belly, and heavy rufous, black and brown speckling on the upperparts and head.

During fall migration (and possibly during early spring migration) the resemblance of smaller phalaropes to Sanderling in flight is striking; see Fig. 19.

Note the following:

• Red Phalarope has a blackish eye mask. Sanderling’s black eye is centered on a pale face.
• Juvenile Red Phalarope has a blackish cap. Sanderling’s cap is pale gray.
• Red Phalarope displays a plain gray back (mantle). Sanderling’s mantle is speckled or checkered gray-and-white or just plain gray.
• In flight, the underwing of both species is white.
• The white stripe on the upper wing of Red Phalarope is broader on the inner wing. Sanderling’s upper wing stripe broadens toward the wing tip.
• Red Phalarope in flight displays a mostly gray tail. Sanderling’s tail is dark gray in the center, much paler, nearly white on the edges.
• The bills of Red Phalarope and Sanderling are thickish and tubular. Red Phalarope’s bill usually displays some yellow-orange at the base.

See Fig. 20 for an image of an adult Red Phalarope in full breeding (alternate) plumage juxtaposed to alternate-plumaged Red Knot and alternate-plumaged Dunlin. Note differences in body size, color patterns, bill shape and color.