noun
- a small wading bird that swims and feeds on the water surface, with lobed toes and dense plumage
Usage: ornithology
Examples
- The red-necked phalarope spins in circles while feeding on plankton.
- Phalaropes are unusual among shorebirds because they spend much of their time swimming.
- During migration, thousands of phalaropes gather on large lakes.
- The female phalarope is more brightly colored than the male.
- Wilson’s phalarope breeds in shallow wetlands across western North America.
- Phalaropes have lobed toes that help them paddle through the water.