Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) is a small swimming shorebird; breeding females are brighter, with red neck, grey head and white throat. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It spins on water to raise tiny prey, breeds on northern wetlands and migrates mainly over the open ocean. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).