Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

The Red-necked Phalarope is a small, beautiful bird that loves to swim and dive in the water. It has a striking red neck and a unique way of spinning in circles to catch tiny food in the water.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Red-necked Phalarope is a small shorebird with a fine, needle-like black bill. Breeding females have striking slate-grey upperparts, white underparts, and a bold reddish-brown patch on their neck and throat. Males are duller versions of this plumage.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCharadriiformesFamilyScolopacidaeGenusPhalaropus

Red-necked Phalarope

Interesting facts

In flight, you can spot a bright white stripe across their dark wings!

Their feathers change color dramatically from summer breeding to plain winter plumage.

These hardy birds can tolerate incredibly cold temperatures in the high Arctic!

Unlike most birds, they lay their eggs in a simple scrape on the bare ground!

Special abilities

Red-necked Phalarope can spin rapidly in water because this creates a mini-whirlpool, drawing tiny food items up for easy capture.

Females are more brightly colored and leave the duller males to incubate eggs and raise the young.

Red-necked Phalaropes spend most of their lives far at sea, using their waterproof feathers and lobed toes to survive pelagic journeys.

Measurements & details

Length: 17-20 cm
Wingspan: 30-34 cm
Weight: 0.025-0.048 kg
Lifespan: 3-10 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-4
Incubation: 17-21 days
Migration Distance: 10000 km

Diet & Feeding

They mainly feast on tiny insects and crustaceans found in water sources.

Primary Foods

mosquito larvae
brine shrimp
copepods
small marine worms
fly larvae

Foraging Method

Filter Feeding

Ecological connections

eaten by

Glaucous Gull

Larus hyperboreus

Prey on chicks and eggs.

eaten by

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Hunts young birds and eggs.

eats

Copepod

Calanus finmarchicus

Major food source in oceans.

eats

Non-biting Midge

Chironomus plumosus

Larvae are prey in ponds.

Traits

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.