phalarope

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of several small wading birds of the family Phalaropodidae, resembling sandpipers but having lobed toes that enable them to swim.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small wading bird of the family Phalaropodidæ, having lobate toes. There are 3 species, usually placed in as many genera, of elegant and varied coloration, and in general resembling sandpipers; but the body is depressed rather than compressed, and the plumage of the under parts is thick and compact to resist water, upon which these little birds swim with great ease and grace. They are found on inland waters and along the coasts of most parts of the world, sometimes venturing far out to sea. Two of the three species breed only in boreal regions, and perform extensive migrations in the spring and fall. Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus (Steganopus) wilsoni, the largest and handsomest species, is confined to America, breeding from northerly parts of the United States northward, and dispersing in winter over South America. It is 8¾ inches long, and 15¾ in extent of wings; the bill is 1⅓ inches long and extremely slender; the margins of the toes are not scalloped. The female exceeds the male in size and beauty, and the male performs the task of incubation. The red-necked or northern phalarope is Phalaropus (Lobipes) hyperboreus; this has a slender bill like the first, but is smaller, and the membrane of the toes is scalloped. The red or gray phalarope is P. fulicarius, also called the coot-footed tringa: the bill is broad and depressed, with a lancet-shaped tip, and the membrane of the toes is scalloped. This species is noted for its great seasonal changes of plumage. See also cut under Steganopus.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any of three small wading birds in the genus Phalaropus, of the family Scolopacidae, that have lobed toes.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) Any species of Phalaropus and allied genera of small wading birds (Grallæ), having lobate toes. They are often seen far from land, swimming in large flocks. Called also sea goose.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. small sandpiper-like shorebird having lobate toes and being good swimmers; breed in the Arctic and winter in the tropics