Phalaropus fulicarius
The Red Phalarope, or Grey Phalarope in Europe and Asia, is a distinctive and charismatic small shorebird renowned for its striking plumage and remarkable role reversal in parental care. Measuring 18-22 cm in length with a wingspan of 35-40 cm, this species displays pronounced sexual dimorphism where the female is typically larger and significantly more brightly colored than the male, especially during the breeding season. Distinctive field marks include its lobed toes, stout bill (dark in su...
Breeds in shallow pools and wetlands of the Arctic tundra, often near the coast. During non-breeding seasons, it is almost exclusively pelagic, inhabiting nutrient-rich open ocean waters far from land.
Feeds primarily on small aquatic invertebrates, insect larvae, zooplankton (especially copepods and amphipods), and other surface-dwelling marine organisms. Forages by surface-pecking, often while spinning in a tight circle to create currents that bring food items closer.
Red Phalaropes exhibit unique foraging strategies, most notably spinning rapidly on the water surface to create a vortex that draws small invertebrates upwards, which they then peck with their bill. Daily activity patterns are primarily diurnal during the Arctic breeding season, shifting to conti...
The Red Phalarope has a circumpolar Arctic breeding range, encompassing northern North America (including Alaska, Arctic Canada, and Greenland), northern Europe (Svalbard, Iceland), and Siberia. After breeding, they undertake extensive southward migrations, primarily to pelagic wintering grounds ...
Least Concern
- Red Phalaropes exhibit 'reverse sexual dimorphism,' where the female is larger and more brightly colored than the male, a rarity in the avian world. - The male Red Phalarope takes on all parental duties, including incubating the eggs and raising the chicks, while the female may mate with multip...