Page 62 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

DIVERS AND GREBES
Order Podicipediformes Family Podicipedidae Species Podiceps grisegena
Red-necked Grebe black cap
reaches
below eye
grey and
white face
dumpy thick neck
shape
ADULT slightly drooped yellow base to
(WINTER) neck stout, dagger-
like bill

IN FLIGHT

round head
dark chestnut
dark neck and breast
whitish cheeks around eye ADULT (SUMMER)
striped
cheeks
dusky grey
on foreneck
yellow
on bill
ADULT
(WINTER)
n much of northeast Europe, this is a typical bird of large, well- JUVENILE
Ivegetated lakes; in Great Britain, it is mostly a late summer and
winter visitor and never common. Like other grebes it can look FLIGHT: low, straight, heavy, with slightly drooped
dumpy, squat, and thickset, or rather slim, according to conditions neck and legs.
and intent: an active, feeding bird looks much more slim and alert
than a resting one. Such changes in shape can make judgement
of size, especially at a distance on open water, very difficult,
but this is a large grebe, along with the Great
Crested Grebe, compared with the small grebes
such as Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes.
VOICE Various growling notes; silent
in winter.
NESTING Typical grebe nest: heap of
waterweed with shallow depression on
top, semi-floating on fresh water amongst
vegetation; 3 or 4 eggs; 1 brood;April–June. A STRUGGLE ON LAND
FEEDING Dives for food, mostly fish, but also feeds Grebes are unable to walk on land, and use an ungainly shuffle to leave
on various crustaceans and insects in summer. the nest. They are adept swimmers.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds on reedy lakes and broad
slimmer bill whiter foreneck rivers in E Europe. In autumn and
never yellow
winter, moves west, mostly on
longer neck quiet estuaries and sheltered
coastal bays; scarce on inland
waters such as flooded gravel pits
smaller bill and reservoirs.
SLAVONIAN GREBE winter,
GREAT CRESTED GREBE winter, similar to adult winter; Seen in the UK
similar to adult winter; see p.61 see p.62 JF M A M J J AS ON D
Length 40–46cm (16–18in) Wingspan 77–85cm (30–34in) Weight 700–900g (25–32oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure
60