Migration: Variably mid May-early Jun with from early May, and to mid Jul-mid Sep with a broad and variable peak late Jul-early Sep and from early Jul and to late Sep. in the same period. from mainland points, with most sightings following a period of sustained easterly winds. Not recorded on fresh water. Best seen from Bar Harbor whale watch boats that visit seamounts and Mount Desert Rock. In some years marine food is scarce and all sea creatures, including phalarope, are in short supply.
Miscellany: In the 1970s, huge numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes, estimated by some in the millions, gathered Aug-Sep in the western Gulf of Maine notably in Passamaquoddy Bay and around Mount Desert Rock, but by the late 1980s, they had all but vanished. It's thought that their zooplankton food supply collapsed but it isn't clear why. Nothing close to these numbers has been detected since.
Last Reviewed: July 23rd, 2026