FAMILY PHALAROPODIDAE 43 1 



Measurements (from Ridgway, I.e., p. 419). — Males, wing 119- 

 130 (125.2), tail 59-70.5 (62.9), culmen 18.5-23 (21.9), tarsus 19.5- 

 21.5 (20.7), middle toe 19.5-21.5 (20.5) mm. 



Females, wing 129.5-139 (135.1), tail 63-71 (66.4), culmen 21.0- 

 24 (22.5), tarsus 20-22.5 (22.0), middle toe 19-21.5 (20.4) mm. 



Migrant from the north. Occurrence uncertain. 



Red phalaropes nest in the far north and winter at sea, chiefly in 

 the Southern Hemisphere, where they are common off both coasts of 

 South America. Their main migrations, which include many thou- 

 sands of individuals, are also offshore. They may be expected at sea 

 on the Pacific side, perhaps casually in the outer Gulf of Panama. The 

 only record to indicate this at present is one by Robert Cushman 

 Murphy who informs me (in litt.) that he saw two about 5 p.m. 

 on November 19, 1956, when the ship's position at noon had been at 

 lat. 8° 55' N., long. 88° 50^ W., a point far to the west of the Gulf of 

 Panama. 



In Spain this species is called falaropo picogrueso. 



STEGANOPUS TRICOLOR Vieillot: Wilson's Phalarope; PoUito de Mar 



Tricolor 



Steganopus tricolor Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., nouv. ed., vol. 32, Sept. 

 1819, p. 136. (Paraguay.) 



Largest of the phalaropes ; rump white, wing nearly plain. 



Description. — Length, 215 to 230 mm. Tarsus decidedly longer than 

 middle toe. Breeding dress (male duller than female), crown and 

 upper back gray ; hindneck white ; wing coverts and lower back 

 brownish gray ; upper tail coverts and side of rump white ; primaries 

 and secondaries fuscous brown ; tail brownish gray ; sides of head 

 black; sides of neck, of upper back, and much of scapulars rufous; 

 foreneck and upper breast pale cinnamon ; rest of under surface 

 white. 



Winter dress, crown and sides of neck light gray; hindneck and 

 back brownish gray ; underneath white. 



Immature birds have the wing coverts slate gray margined with 

 pale buff and white. 



Measurements (from Ridgway, I.e., pp. 431-432). — Males, wing 

 116-125 (121.1), tail 48-54 (51.2), culmen 28-31 (30.5), tarsus 28.5- 

 33 (30.1), middle toe 22-25 (24) mm. 



Females, wing 130-137.5 (132.6), tail 52.5-65 (55.9), culmen 31- 

 36 (33), tarsus 30.5-33 (31.7), middle toe 24.5-26.5 (25.3) mm. 



