Bird of the Week – Wilson’s Phalarope

There are three species of Phalaropes in Alaska; this one, by a considerable margin, is the least common. Phalaropes are unusual in that sexual roles are reversed; the male is drabber, and does all of the brooding of the eggs and raises the chicks. The more colorful female lays the eggs and leaves. This proto-feminist male was photographed at Creamer’s Refuge in 2008. For more bird photos, visit Frozen Feather Images.