Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Shorebirds

Color Photographs: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 7 inches.

Female Summer Plumage: Inner side of the neck with a broad, red to orange band, the upper part wrapping around the white throat. Head black, bill narrow, but not elongate, and all black. Upper side of the neck and the back dull black, the back with distinct, dull orange stripes. Underside white with gray striations along the side. Toes lobed.

Male Summer Plumage: Similar to the female, but red to orange band around the neck much smaller. Face dull to gray, but not pure black as in the female. Back without distinct, dull orange stripes.

Winter Plumage: Back light gray, without orange or red markings.

Similar Species:  Wilson's Phalarope is a larger species, lacks a red to orange band around the neck, and the bill is longer and narrower. The undersides of the Red Phalarope in summer plumage is all rusty-red. The winter plumages of these three species can be confusing. The winter Wilson's Phalarope is larger and has a longer, narrower bill. The winter Red Phalarope has a much darker back and the bill is two-toned with an orange base and black tip, in contrast to the all black bill of the Red-necked Phalarope.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Red-necked Phalarope breeds in Alaska and throughout the northern regions of Canada. The species is also found in the Old World.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters along the ocean coasts of South America.

Habitat: The Red-necked Phalarope is found on the tundra along the shores of bogs, ponds, and lakes during the breeding season. Migrating individuals are primarily seen on the ocean off the coast and on beaches and mudflats.

Food: Aquatic invertebrates.

Behavior: The Red-necked Phalarope spends most of its time on the water and during the winter spends most of its time at sea. Like other phalaropes the female is the more brightly marked sex and the male spends its time tending the eggs and taking care of the young, an interesting role-reversal for the birds. The toes are heavily lobed and make the species an excellent swimmer. The voice is a sharp twit.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 4 brown-spotted dull green eggs. The eggs are laid in a ground depression and placed primarily near tundra marshes.