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Glite Dictionary
phalarope

phalarope

1 9.9
A small shorebird that swims with special toes and migrates long distances
  • noun
  • /ˈfæl.ə.roʊp/
translation icon : falaropo
  • The phalarope is known for its unique ability to create whirlpools while feeding on small invertebrates.
  • red phalarope

Examples

  • Her father had taught her some of their names: eiders, dunlins, longspurs, phalaropes, golden plovers.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Spotted sandpipers were the first bird species for which this was documented; higher prolactin levels have since been found in two other sex-role reversed species, red-necked and Wilson's phalaropes.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Along the riverbank, we watched a group of phalaropes swimming gracefully in the water.

  • During our birdwatching trip, we spotted a phalarope effortlessly gliding across the surface of the lake.

Synonyms

Phalaropus
vsphalarope
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wading bird with lobed toes that swims and feeds by spinning in water

is the common name for those birds that breed in the Arctic and winter tropically

Compounds

northern phalarope
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wading bird that breeds in the Arctic and often forms large flocks at sea

red phalarope
9.1

A small bird that lives by northern seas and lakes and has bright red feathers in summer

Wilson's phalarope
  • Specialized
9.9

A small North American shorebird that moves south for winter

Surface Forms

phalarope singular
phalaropes plural

Etymology

The word phalarope comes from Greek parts meaning 'coot' and 'foot', phalaris 'coot' and pous 'foot', because these birds have lobed toes that help them swim. So, a phalarope is a small shorebird known for its unusual, swimming feet.