Sandpipers

Red-necked Phalarope

Odinshühnchen

Phalaropus lobatus

Sandpipers4 photosFirst seen: 23 August 2026

The Red-necked Phalarope is a tiny shorebird that spends much of the year far out at sea. On tundra pools it often spins in tight circles, drawing small prey toward the surface. Females are brighter and take the lead in courtship, while males incubate the eggs and care for the young. After breeding, flocks move offshore and feed on marine plankton.

ID tip: The fine needle-like bill and small size separate it from the broader-billed Red Phalarope. Breeding birds show a dark face and chestnut neck stripe; nonbreeding birds are pale with a black ear patch.

First seen: 23 August 2026 · Kenai Fjords · 4 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Kenai Fjords23 August 2026

Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)
Length: 18–19 cm
Wingspan: 32–41 cm
Regional status: Migrant (Alaska, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Tundra pools during breeding and open ocean during migration and winter
Diet: Small aquatic invertebrates and zooplankton

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Red-necked Phalarope

Places in my records

Selected photographs