Wintering birds: 200 birds
Family: Sandpipers And Allies
In breeding plumage, female grey phalaropes have black upperparts streaked with buff and cinnamon fringes to the feathers, and a grey rump with a rufous tinge to the sides. There is a white wing bar which is visible in flight. The underparts are bright chestnut, the underwing and axillaries are white, and the tail is grey with darker central rectrices.
On the head, the crown, forehead, chin, and lower part of the face are dark brown, and the neck is chestnut-coloured with a grey patch in the centre of the nape. The sides of the head and around the eyes are white. The long, broad bill is yellow with a black tip, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and feet are yellowy-brown.
Males in breeding plumage are similar to females but duller overall. The crown and mantle are streaked and the white on the face is buffier. There are indistinct spots and markings on the underparts.
Out of breeding season, both male and female grey phalaropes have blue-grey upperparts and white underparts. The hind crown is black as is the eye-patch which extends to the ear coverts.
Juveniles have dark brown and white streaked upperparts, dull pink sides of the breast, and white underparts. The head pattern is similar to non-breeding adults but browner, and the neck is pinkish.
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Grey phalaropes breed during the summer and produce 1 brood a season. They form monogamous pair bonds, although if there are excess males will practice polyandry. They breed on marshy tundra near shallow pools and lagoons, or damp meadows. The male builds the nest which is a shallow scrape in the ground lined with grasses, stones, lichen, and feathers.
Grey phalaropes lay 3-4 smooth, slightly glossy, pale olive or olive-brown eggs with brown specks and blotches, which are incubated by the male alone for 18-20 days. At this point the female leaves the nest and may find another mate. The chicks are covered in cryptic plumage with cinnamon upperparts with black and white streaks, and pale grey and white underparts.
They can run, swim, and find food soon after hatching and fledge at 16-20 days. They reach sexual maturity at 1 year.
During breeding season, grey phalaropes feed on insects, beetles, flies, molluscs, crustaceans, aquatic worms, and spiders. They will sometimes eat seeds if other food is scarce.
Out of breeding season, they feed at sea mainly on plankton and small fish.
Grey phalaropes are rare visitors to the UK but can be spotted between October and January when they get blown off course by bad weather and strong winds. Look out for them on the southern and eastern coasts of England and Scotland.
In North America, grey phalaropes are known as red phalaropes due to their breeding plumage.
