Red-necked Phalarope

Our honeymoon in Iceland in June 2023 marked our first encounter with the red-necked phalarope, a small bird part of the snipe family (Scolopacidae), characterized by its bright orange stripes on the neck.

During our walk around Lake Mývatn, in the North of Iceland, we found them running around along a big part of the track, often in pairs.

The one pictured here is a female red-necked phalarope, which is much brighter and more colorful than the male.

This is different from many other bird species, where typically the male is more colorul to be attractive towards potential mates, whereas the females need camouflage while sitting on the nest or caring for the young.

However, the phalarope's gender roles are reversed. The females need to make themselves seem like attractive and healthy mates, then as soon as they've laid their eggs, they disappear and the male takes over as the sole caregiver. This makes duller males more advantageous, since they'll be less noticeable by predators during the nesting period.