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Date: 9/10/26 6:24 pm From: 'Pete Sole' via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Leucistic Red-necked Phalarope at Shorebirds
Hi birders, This is undoubtedly is an interesting bird. However, to my eye, it still looks like a Red-necked Phalarope. A few reasons: * The bill, although thick at the base, is still pretty thin and very pointed. Additionally, the base of the lower mandible is dark. However, given a clearly aberrant individual, I'm not sure that color is reliable in this case. In contrast Red Phalaropes have a thicker bill throughout, the bill tip is a little blunter and not as needle like, and the base of the lower mandible in non-breeding plumage, is yellow. * The size and structure of the bird still seems good for Red-necked. The neck is thin and long. The size between this bird and the other Red-necked Phalarope in the other photos appears about the same. Red Phalaropes are larger (~8.5 inches vs ~7.75 per my "vintage" Sybley), and a bit stockier than Red-necked. I too considered that it might be a Red Phalarope but now, I'd go with Red-necked. Very curious as to what others in the community think. Pete Solé - enjoying the bird ID debate in Soquel, CA On 9/10/26 5:07 PM, Deborah Diersch wrote: > Thanks for those great photos Tom! > > And Brian for comments about the species and coloration. > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2026 at 5:03 PM Brian Scanlon > <briancscanlon...> wrote: > > Tom, > > The heavier bill and the placement of the eye in your photos is > giving me a Red Phalarope vibe. Perhaps not leucistic, but very > pale. They've been seen at Shorebirds before. > > Brian > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2026 at 4:43 PM Tom Hambleton <tah...> wrote: > > Here’s a few photos of Debbie’s cool bird. I badly want to > turn it into a Wilson’s Phalarope. > > From: <mbbirds...> on behalf of Deborah > Diersch <debbiediersch...> > Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 4:56 PM > To: "<MBBIRDS...>" <mbbirds...> > Subject: [MBBIRDS] Leucistic Red-necked Phalarope at Shorebirds > > Hi Everyone, > > Our birding class observed a leucistic Red-necked Phalarope > feeding with other phalaropes on termites at Shorebirds pond > this afternoon. Both the bird and the feeding behavior were > something I've never seen before. I took the attached video. > > Happy Birding! > > Debbie > > Image removed by sender. IMG_8385.MOV > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xsNbeR43uhGWas_CLFdauE88rN-yAWHq/view?usp=drive_web> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > Google Groups "mbbirds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from > it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFw6txXCw%3D%<3D3ptt8cmFdj7WS290DPrV2n67JMv6k4LCgS6cXjA...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFw6txXCw%3D%<3D3ptt8cmFdj7WS290DPrV2n67JMv6k4LCgS6cXjA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > Google Groups "mbbirds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from > it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<608A52C9-B2C3-4FAB-953A-B29BA6EE8468...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<608A52C9-B2C3-4FAB-953A-B29BA6EE8468...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "mbbirds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFw6txX45Zx7FoZQYV0%<3DAoVSdpcvqxgbCdzNU-_SPdWKg1TABQ...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFw6txX45Zx7FoZQYV0%<3DAoVSdpcvqxgbCdzNU-_SPdWKg1TABQ...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<e9cf9bd9-43a6-48b5-b373-f2d2237f8395...>

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