Page 61 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

DIVERS AND GREBES
Order Podicipediformes Family Podicipedidae Species Tachybaptus ruficollis
Little Grebe

buffish face
buff foreneck
trailing
feet
ADULT dark
(WINTER) wings
ADULT (WINTER) JUVENILE
blackish cap
rufous face
IN FLIGHT
rounded body
straight, pointed bill
pale yellow spot
at base of bill
blunt buff
tail

ADULT
(SUMMER)
ittle Grebes are small, dark, short-billed, and round as a ball, their
Lnear lack of tail rendering them especially buoyant on freshwater FLIGHT: flies little, usually very low, skittering over
rivers, lakes, and ponds.Their loud, trilling or whinnying calls ring water on small wings.
around marshes in summer. In winter, they often move
to larger waters, less prone to freeze, and more rarely
to the coast.They may then mix loosely with other
species of waterfowl but tend to keep in little groups,
slightly dispersed, in their own corner of the lake.
VOICE High, loud, rapid trill that fades away;
silent in winter.
NESTING Floating mound of wet weed, anchored
to stem or branch; 4–6 eggs, which the bird covers
if it leaves the nest; 1 brood;April–June.
FEEDING Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and ALERT ON WATER
molluscs, often diving under with a little leap and When alarmed, the Little Grebe looks larger-necked and less dumpy, and
reappearing like a cork. in winter, can look surprisingly like a Black-necked Grebe.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Widespread in summer except
uptilted bill
in N Europe, breeding on broad
contrasted face
rivers and canals, freshwater
bright pools, and flooded pits. Dispersal
red bill to larger waters in W Europe in
autumn also takes them onto sea
white at times, in sheltered areas.
stripe
BLACK-NECKED GREBE winter,
similar to adult winter; MOORHEN similar to adult Seen in the UK
see p.63 summer; see p.158 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 25–29cm (10–11 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 40–45cm (16–18in) Weight 100–120g (3 5 ⁄8 –4oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure†
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