The Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) is a rare wader of the open sea — 20–22 cm long with a wingspan of 36–41 cm and a weight of 50–75 grams — that in Sweden is seen almost exclusively in winter plumage: white head and underside, pale blue-grey upperparts, and a black mask running back from the eye. The key mark separating it from the similar Red-necked Phalarope is the bill — shorter, stronger and noticeably broader, often with a yellowish base — combined with a rounder, more compact body. In the rarely seen breeding plumage the female turns brick-red below, brighter and larger than the male, since phalaropes reverse the usual roles: the female courts the male and then leaves incubation and chick-rearing entirely to him.
It is a quiet bird, its most frequent call a short, sharp "pitt" given in flight. Grey Phalaropes breed on Arctic tundra near water, the female laying her eggs in a simple ground nest before departing, leaving the male alone to incubate and tend the precocial chicks. They do not breed in Sweden, occurring here only as a scarce passage migrant, mostly in autumn, when storms can drive birds toward the coast — classic watchpoints include headlands after autumn gales. Uniquely among waders, this species winters far out at sea in tropical and subtropical waters, feeding on plankton, small crustaceans and aquatic insects, often spinning in tight circles on the water's surface to stir prey upward, a technique characteristic of phalaropes.
Read about this species in Swedish →