The red-necked phalarope is a little bit smaller and daintier, with a slightly shorter body than the red phalarope.

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Description

The red-necked phalarope is a little bit smaller and daintier, with a slightly shorter body than the red phalarope.

The breeding plumage of both sexes is grey and brown with a red patch on the side of the neck; the female is somewhat more brightly coloured than the male.

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Distribution

Red-necked phalaropes breed in a circumpolar range in the boreal, sub-arctic and arctic zones, near wet marshes and pools as well as on delta land. In Svalbard, the red-necked phalarope breeds in small patches of suitable habitat on Bjørnøya and along the west coast of Spitsbergen.

General ecology

During the breeding season, the red-necked phalarope is strongly associated with fresh water, especially ponds and lakes, but in winter it is found at sea, often far from the coast. The wintering areas for the Svalbard population are not known, but the Fennoscandian population’s south-easterly migration takes them to the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf for over-wintering.

Management status and monitoring

På Svalbard hekkar symjesnipa fåtalig og spreidd i eigna habitat på Bjørnøya og på vestsida av Spitsbergen. Hekkebestanden er truleg på 10–100 par.