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The Red Phalarope ( Phalaropus fulicarius ) is an Icelandic wading bird which spends most of its life at sea. It heads south from Iceland on a migration route down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, migrating to feeding sites in the middle of the ocean, off the coast of Southwest Africa. There they float in pods on the water.
The breast of the Red Phalarope is rufous-colored while breeding in Iceland, but gray and white during its long migration south. This bird is called the "Grey Phalarope" in Britain where they see its drab winter plumage.
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The traditional family roles in phalaropes are reversed. Usually a male bird is more brightly colored to attract a mate and is boisterous in defense. And usually a female bird is more camouflaged and sits on the eggs and cares for the hatchlings. But, the female Red Phalarope is more deeply orange than her mate. It is she who fights the turf battles. The male is worn-looking with white flecks in the orange. The female leaves early on migration and it is the male who stays and hatches the eggs, feeds the chicks, and shows them the water.
To feed in shallow water, the Red Phalarope swims quickly in a circle. This causes food below to rise to the surface. This circular feeding behavior is why a group of Red Phalaropes is called a "whirl" of Red Phalaropes.
-Robert (photos by yann kolbeinsson)
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