Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's PhalaropeWilson's PhalaropeWilson's PhalaropeWilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
46 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,293 Verified sightings across all 46 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes near the Andes in Argentina. They are passage migrants through Central America around March/April and again during September/October. The species is a rare vagrant to western Europe.

This species is often very tame and approachable. Sometimes it is placed in a monotypic genus Steganopus. This bird is named after Scottish-American ornithologist Alexander Wilson. The English and genus names for phalaropes come through French phalarope and scientific Latin Phalaropus from Ancient Greek phalaris, "coot", and pous, "foot". Coots and phalaropes both have lobed toes. The specific tricolor is from Latin tri-, "three-", and color, coloris "colour".

Wilson's phalarope is slightly larger than the red phalarope at about 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. It is a dainty shorebird with lobed toes and a straight fine black bill. The breeding female is predominantly grey and brown above, with white underparts, a reddish neck and reddish flank... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Red-necked Phalarope
LC

Red-necked Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Spotted Sandpiper
LC

Spotted Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Wilson's Snipe
LC

Wilson's Snipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinago delicata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Least Sandpiper
NT

Least Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris minutilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hudsonian Whimbrel

Hudsonian Whimbrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius hudsonicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Greater Yellowlegs
NT

Greater Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa melanoleuca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Long-billed Dowitcher
NT

Long-billed Dowitcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Solitary Sandpiper
LC

Solitary Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa solitaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Western Sandpiper
LC

Western Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris mauri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Lesser Yellowlegs
VU

Lesser Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Baird's Sandpiper
LC

Baird's Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris bairdii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Willet
LC

Willet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa semipalmata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
2 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
3 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
4 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Torres del Paine National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
<5%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
8 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
11 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
13 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
15 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
17 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
18 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
22 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
23 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
26 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
27 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
28 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
29 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
30 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
31 Huascarán National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
32 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
33 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
34 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
35 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
36 Cajas National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
37 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
38 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
39 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
40 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
41 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
42 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
43 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
44 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
45 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
46 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Wilson's Phalarope in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wilson's Phalarope sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Wilson's Phalarope in Saguaro National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Wilson's Phalarope in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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