Page 406 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

RARE SPECIES/DIVERS AND GREBES
RARE SPECIES

urope has a remarkably wide variety of species every year, others not so regularly.
E habitats and extends over a huge They are always, however, recorded in very
geographical spread from the Arctic to the small numbers.
Mediterranean, from the Atlantic to the Black The birds on the following pages include
Sea.There are regular European species that some that are rare everywhere in Europe and
breed only in very small areas of this range always unpredictable, most of which one
(for example, the Pied Wheatear along the cannot really plan to see,and others that are
Black Sea shores), or appear only as migrants rare or restricted in range, but easily seen if
in small parts of the continent (for instance, one visits the right place
the Great Shearwater that regularly sweeps at the right time of year.
past the southwest of Ireland on its oceanic
SUMMER SPECIAL
migrations).These are, nevertheless, seen every Sooty Shearwaters from the southern
year in the right areas. Some, for example, hemisphere appear off northwest
Mediterranean Shearwaters that are numerous European coasts during their
“winter” travels, in our
in the Mediterranean in summer, but rare summer and autumn.
elsewhere, are relatively numerous. Others,
with abbreviated treatment here, such as the
Pied-billed Grebe from North America, are
really rarities, properly belonging to the
avifauna of other continents.A few
individuals stray far from their breeding
range to turn up in Europe, some
Family Gaviidae Species Gavia adamsii Family Podicipedidae Species Podilymbus podiceps
White-billed Diver Pied-billed Grebe
If anything, this massive diver is even bigger than a This stocky, big-headed grebe is like a large Little
Great Northern Diver (see p.58), similarly chequered Grebe (see p.59) with a much stouter bill, which is
in summer but with an uptilted, yellowish white bill. plain yellowish in winter, but uniquely white with a
The bill lacks a complete dark ridge and tip in winter, black band in summer. In summer, it also has a black
when the sides of the face are also paler than a Great throat. Juveniles have dark head stripes. Rare visitors
Northern Diver’s. In flight, its heavy head and longer from North America may remain for some weeks on
feet are sometimes noticeable. a suitable lake or reservoir.They tend to keep quite
OCCURRENCE Rare in summer in Arctic Europe; in close to well-vegetated shores.
winter, very few south into North Sea. OCCURRENCE Rare in W Europe in autumn/winter,
VOICE Silent in winter; loud wailing and laughing from Americas.
notes in summer. VOICE Silent when stout white bill
with black band
uptilted, yellowish not breeding.
white bill
WINTER ADULT (SUMMER)
pale cheeks
black throat

Length 80–90cm (32–35in) Wingspan 1.35–1.5m (4 1 ⁄2 –5ft) Length 31–38cm (12–15in) Wingspan 50cm (20in)
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