Red-necked Phalarope

The red-necked phalarope, also known as the northern phalarope, is a small wader about 18 cm long, with lobed toes and a straight, fine bill. It breeds in the Arctic of North America and Eurasia and is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans. The breeding female is dark grey above with a chestnut neck and upper breast, black face and white throat, and a white wing stripe helps separate it from Wilson's phalarope (Wikipedia, general species account). (Wikipedia, general species account).

The females pursue and fight over males, and will defend their mate from other females until the clutch is complete and the male begins incubation. Females may lay multiple clutches per year if her original nest fails or there are an excess of adult males in the breeding population. Once it becomes too late in the breeding season to start new nests, females begin their southward migration, leaving the males to incubate the eggs and look after the young. (Wikipedia, general species account).