1905_1550 Red-necked Phalarope
Hundreds of these little shorebirds were present at Reed Lake during my recent visit - a wonderful bonus for me because I'd never managed to photograph them before. Arctic breeders, they are heading north after wintering at sea in the Southern Hemisphere.
Standard sex roles are reversed in phalaropes. The female, seen here, is more brightly-coloured than the male, and does the courting. The male incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks. Although it's well known, I'm not sure that any scientist anywhere has a clue as to why this adaptation occurred.
Their behaviour matched that of the more common (in my area) Wilson's Phalarope, as they wheeled through the water like spinning tops to stir up insects, larvae, and maybe crustaceans. You can see little black specks on the water surface in front of this bird; apparently they are delicious.
Photographed at Reed Lake, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
1905_1550 Red-necked Phalarope
Hundreds of these little shorebirds were present at Reed Lake during my recent visit - a wonderful bonus for me because I'd never managed to photograph them before. Arctic breeders, they are heading north after wintering at sea in the Southern Hemisphere.
Standard sex roles are reversed in phalaropes. The female, seen here, is more brightly-coloured than the male, and does the courting. The male incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks. Although it's well known, I'm not sure that any scientist anywhere has a clue as to why this adaptation occurred.
Their behaviour matched that of the more common (in my area) Wilson's Phalarope, as they wheeled through the water like spinning tops to stir up insects, larvae, and maybe crustaceans. You can see little black specks on the water surface in front of this bird; apparently they are delicious.
Photographed at Reed Lake, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.