Phalaropus lobatus · Icelandic: Óðinshani

A dainty, spinning wader named for Odin himself.

Habitat: Marshes, pools and wet meadows | Season: May–Aug

Identification

• Small, wader-like bird with a needle-thin bill
• Breeding female brighter than the male, with a rich orange-red neck patch

Behaviour

Spins in tight circles on the water surface to stir up food. Sex roles are reversed — the brighter female courts the male, who alone incubates and raises the chicks.

Did you know?

Its Icelandic name means "Odin's rooster" — a nod to Norse mythology and to the male's devoted, almost maternal care of the young.

🔎 My Sighting

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