Selective Feeding of Red Phalaropes on Zooplankton of Arctic Ponds

Food preferences and feeding rate coefficients were estimated for five Red Phaloropes (Phalaropus fulicarius) eating zooplankton. Birds were captured in the Barrow, Alaska, area and put into enclosures containing a known amount of zooplankton. Predation preference and intensity was calculated from the rate of disappearance of zooplankton from the cages. Results indicated phalaropes are size—selective predators on zooplankton, and reaffirm the size—selection predation model previously applied to fish and salamander populations.