Page 57 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

DIVERS AND GREBES
Families Gaviidae, Podicipedidae
DIVERS AND GREBES

NTIRELY WATER BIRDS except when nesting,
Ethese sleek, dagger-billed birds have thick
plumage, narrow wings, short tails, and legs set
very far back on the body.This makes it difficult
for them to move on land: they merely shuffle
on their bellies, pushing with their feet, onto the
nest and off again into water.
Their feet are not webbed, but
have broad lobes along each toe WINTER DABCHICK
Like most grebes, the Little Grebe, often known as
(the hind toe is very small).These
the Dabchick, loses its bright colours in winter, but
lobes fold together as the foot is has rich rufous cheeks in summer. A pale spot near
pushed forwards through water, the base of the bill is distinctive in all seasons.
reducing drag, but open out
when pushed against it to give GREBES
greater propulsion. Round-bodied but long-necked,
grebes are widespread in Europe,
DIVERS breeding on rivers, marshes, and
These are bigger and longer- larger lakes.They have barking,
bodied than grebes, flying more croaking, or trilling calls, less wild
often (indeed, the Red-throated and dramatic than the divers’
Diver flies from its nesting lake to RED THROAT IN SUMMER vocalizations.They characteristically
Divers have distinctive plumages when
feed in the sea) and more northerly cover their eggs with waterweed
breeding, such as this Red-throated
in their distribution in summer. Diver, but in winter they become more whenever they leave the nest, in
They have loud, wailing calls. anonymous in dark brown and white. an effort to deter predators.

GRACEFUL DISPLAY
Black-necked Grebes show off
their dramatic plumage in court-
ship displays; the sexes look alike.

55