Cobirders, This afternoon I found a couple of phalaropes at Lagerman, one Red-necked and the other looking a lot like a Red.
Side by side comparisons were especially useful in analyzing the markings to support the ID of the Red Phalarope, as were discussions with friends and fellow birders. Of note were the distinctly different bills (one needle thin, and sharp pointed, the other thick and blunt, like a straw), streaked colorful back vs. a plain solid gray back, overall size —the RN being smaller, daintier, thinner & slightly longer-necked, the Red bulkier, shorter neck, and visibly larger. It was also interesting to observe the differences in movement and feeding, the Red-necked generally more active, almost hyper, more spinning, riding fairly low in the water, whereas the Red was slower, more deliberate in feeding, and riding higher, seemingly more buoyant in the water. Photos and many reports have been submitted to eBIrd. I hope the two stick around for others to enjoy the side by side comparison. Thomas Heinrich Boulder, CO nyc...@aol.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/A8FEA071-BB30-4D38-9B6C-D2743D601296%40gmail.com.
