The Red phalarope defies many of our preconceived notions about the bird world. Here the female is the largest one and the most colorful one (as in this picture). She has a black hood on her head, a clearer white cheek spot, and a more distinctive pattern on her wings. She establishes a territory and attracts a male. The female then courts the male and lets him fertilize her. She lays three to six eggs in a simple nest, near the water and then leaves him to establish a new territory or to move south. The male has to take care of both the brooding and the breeding of the nestlings.