Red-Necked Phalarope Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements

Red-Necked Phalaropes have lobed feet which allows them to become strong swimmers, this is a rare feature in wading birds and is just one of the features that make this rare visitor to UK shores unique. Their breeding habits are also different to many other bird species.

In Red-Necked Phalaropes it’s the female that has the colourful plumage and competes for a male to raise her young. On that note, it’s the male that incubates the eggs and rears the young chicks until they fledge while the female is off mating with other males.

In this article we’ll be looking at the dietary habits and breeding habits of the Red-Necked Phalarope as well as their size and weight and much more. Keep reading for more information about these fascinating wading birds.

The Dietary Habits Of The Red-Necked Phalarope

As these birds spend almost all of their lives in water, their aquatic based diet reflects their habitat. They have a unique feeding behaviour that involves creating spinning water to help them capture food.

They swim in tight, rapid circles on the water’s surface using their feet to create a small vortex or whirlpool in the water. This vortex causes small aquatic foods to be drawn up from deep within the water column allowing the Red-Necked Phalaropes to pick off their prey with their long sharp bill.

What Does A Red-Necked Phalarope Eat?

Red-necked Phalaropes primarily eat small aquatic invertebrates, which they often pick from the surface of the water while swimming. Their diet includes: flies, mosquitoes, insect larvae, crustaceans, molluscs and tiny drifting organisms found in the water (zooplankton).

What To Feed A Baby Red-Necked Phalarope? 

When feeding the chicks, the male Red-Necked Phalarope will provide similar food. The chicks are fed a diet of small invertebrates, which are easy for them to digest and rich in the nutrients necessary for growth. 

The male leads the chicks to areas where these food sources are plentiful, and the chicks gradually learn to feed themselves as they grow.

Breeding Habits Of Red-Necked Phalaropes

The breeding habits of the Red-Necked Phalarope are fascinating and involve several unique behaviours, including a reversal of traditional gender roles seen in many bird species. The females are the more brightly coloured sex and they also take the lead in courtship and competition for mates.

The female actively courts the male, performing displays that include chasing, circling, and swimming around him. The female may also puff up her feathers and make trilling calls to attract the male’s attention.

Once a pair is formed, they may engage in synchronised swimming and other behaviours that reinforce their bond. 

Do Red-Necked Phalaropes Mate For Life?

Red-Necked Phalaropes do not mate for life, in fact, once the female lays her eggs she typically leaves the nesting site and the male is left to incubate and care for the eggs and young chicks.

He then takes on a more aggressive personality defending the nest against any intruders.

The Size & Weight Of Red-Necked Phalaropes

In keeping with other role reversal tendencies, the female Red-Necked Phalaropes are generally heavier than the males.

How Much Does A Red-Necked Phalarope Weigh?

The average weight of an adult Red-Necked Phalarope is around 27 to 48 grams. In many cases, females weigh more than males. 

How Big Is A Red-Necked Phalarope?

An adult Red-Necked Phalarope is around 17 to 19 cm in length and has a wingspan of around 32 to 41 cm which is similar in size to the Dunlin.

Are Red-Necked Phalaropes Under Threat?

Red-necked Phalaropes are currently not considered globally threatened. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.  The global population is stable overall, but like many migratory species, they are vulnerable to changes in their environment.

They typically face the threat of habitat loss particularly in their Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding grounds due to climate change. They also face the ever present threat of pollution when migrating or in their wintering grounds.

Climate change also threatens the supply of food available to the Red-Necked Phalarope population. Then of course there’s the threat produced by human activity especially the industrial development in the Arctic region.

What Eats A Red-Necked Phalarope?

Red-Necked Phalaropes face the threat from predators as well which includes Arctic foxes, weasels, rats and stoats as well as Gulls and Jaegers in the breeding grounds that will take eggs, young chicks and occasionally adult birds as well.

During the migration and in their wintering grounds, Red-Necked Phalaropes face the threats posed by large birds of prey including Hawks and Falcons as well as large fish and marine mammals that can also take adult birds.

Where Can I See Red-Necked Phalaropes In The UK?

In the UK, Red-necked Phalaropes are mainly seen during migration and in a few specific breeding locations. The most reported sightings occur at the following sites;

The Outer Hebrides, Scotland

• Loch na Muilne Reserve on the Isle of Lewis
• North Uist and South Uist

The Shetland Islands

• Fetlar

The East Coast of Scotland

• Aberlady Bay

The North Eastern Coastal Regions Of England

• Northumberland
• Yorkshire

The South Coast Of England

• Poole Harbour (Dorset)
• Pagham Harbour (West Sussex)

Northern Ireland

• Strangford Lough
• Lough Neagh

You’re most likely to spot Red-Necked Phalaropes during the breeding season (May to June) in the Hebrides and Shetland Islands. During the migration period (May to June and August to September) watch along the coastal regions listed above and at large wetland sites.

SEE ALSO: Pectoral Sandpiper Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

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