Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

		spring female spring male juvenile
2012-05-12 Mangistau oblast, Fetisovo 2012-05-22 Mangystau oblast, Tubkaragan region2012-08-19 Sorbulak lake, Almaty region	© Andrey Vilyayev © Aisagali Kadirov© Gennadiy Dyakin

Distribution

On migration occurs everywhere in plains of Kazakhstan, occasionally in mountains on Markakol lake.

Biology

Common, in places numerous passage migrant. Occurs on the fresh, brackish and salty lakes, pounds and reservoirs with stagnant water and muddy or sandy shores. In spring arrives in small groups and flocks of above 200 birds in April in southern areas, and in the end of April – early May in northern ones. Intense migration is in May, and latest spring birds recorded in mid-June. The autumn migration begins in July, when adult birds especially females are prevail in number. From August the number of juvenile birds in flocks is more than adults. Prefers the salty lakes of Central Kazakhstan where the huge flocks numbering thousands birds stay to rest and feed. On Tengiz lake at least 600-800 thousand Red-necked Phalaropes gather. On Kipshak lake in the end of July 1983 up to 8 hundred were mist netted everyday when the flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes arrive to small patch of brackish water in evening time. Most birds fly off in September, the latest ones recorded in mid-end October.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.