# Phalaropus lobatus

**Odin's chicken / Smalnäbbad simsnäppa / Red-necked Phalarope**

Illustration: Phalaropus lobatus

Nature, Taiga & Waters of Västerbotten

- **Plumage:** Breeding female has dark slate-grey head, back, and upper chest, accented by a brilliant chestnut-orange patch on sides of neck and throat. - **Beak:** Very fine, needle-like black bill. - **Body build:** Small, delicate wader (length 18–19 cm) with lobed toes specialized for active swimming. - **Distinctive details:** Reversed sexual dimorphism, distinct white throat patch, lobed feet like a coot, white wing bar visible in flight.

This species is an important part of the ecosystems in Västerbotten.

Native to Northern Sweden

## FAQs

- **How does the red-necked phalarope forage for food?**: It exhibits a unique feeding behavior where it spins in rapid circles in shallow water. This creates a vortex that draws small invertebrates to the surface, which it then picks off with its needle-like bill.
- **What is unusual about the reproductive roles of the red-necked phalarope?**: Like the dotterel, it displays role reversal. The brightly colored female courts the male, lays the eggs, and then departs, leaving the male to incubate the eggs and care for the chicks.