The female Phalarope (top) is larger and much more brightly colored than the male (front), illustrating the reversal of the roles of the sexes in this and the other two Phalarope species. The female takes the leading role in courtship, whereas the male builds the nest and does the incubating and rearing of the youngs. The female deserts the nest after laying her eggs. After breeding in the toundra of the extreme north, the Red-necked and the Red Phalarope change habitat and migrate south to spend the winter far from the coasts in tropical waters.

Austin Jr, O.L, (1961): Birds of the World, Golden Press, New York, p 124