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Wilson's phalarope (right) approaching mallards (left), Wind Cave National Park, 2015.

Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) share the marsh. Wilson's phalarope is a small wader but is the largest of the phalaropes. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes near the Andes. This species is very tame and approachable as well as very smart! This phalarope will often swim in a small circle forming a whirlpool. The bird will then reaches into the outskirts of the vortex with its bill, plucking small insects and crustaceans caught in the current! This species is also unusually halophilic, meaning they are salt-loving and feed on saline lakes during migration. Mallards are dabbling ducks, inhabiting a wide range of habitats and climates. You will find them in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands as well as other wet environments. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation.

U.S. National Park Service

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Wind Cave National Park, Code: WICA

National Park Service Facebook Photos

Title: Wind Cave National Park
URL: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wind-Cave-National-Park/127899503922510?fref=ts

20150614

06/14/2015

Public Can View

Organization: Wind Cave National Park
Address: 26611 US Highway 385, Hot Springs, SD 57747-6027

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