Page 63 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

DIVERS AND GREBES
Order Podicipediformes Family Podicipedidae Species Podiceps cristatus
Great Crested Grebe black head plumes

white face
drooping neck
unique ruff
legs dagger-like
below bold white pink bill
body level wing patches slender
dull, dark
back neck
ADULT
(WINTER)
white neck
and breast
IN FLIGHT
ADULT
(SUMMER)
white over
eye
striped
head
pale greyish
body
pink bill
tailless dark back
shape white
breast
JUVENILE
he upright, slender neck with a silky white front
Tand bright white breast are always characteristic of ADULT (WINTER)
this large, dagger-billed grebe. In summer, its black cap extends into
a double, backward-facing tuft and a frill of chestnut appears on the
face, used in face-to-face head-wagging displays by breeding pairs. FLIGHT: low, direct; head and trailing legs drooped
Small groups breed close together and larger flocks form on more below body level.
open water, such as large reservoirs, in winter.
VOICE Various loud barks and growling notes in summer; juveniles
make loud, fluty whistles.
NESTING Pile of weed on water, anchored to vegetation; 3or4
white eggs; 1 brood; February–June.
FEEDING Dives from
surface, staying under for
lengthy periods in search
of fish and large aquatic
invertebrates.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Widespread except in far N Europe.
Mostly breeds on flooded gravel
stockier stubbier bill pits, large lakes, and reservoirs;
and deeper
also on larger rivers. In winter,
mostly on bigger reservoirs and
sheltered coastal waters in
W Europe; autumn migrants
often on sea.
RED-NECKED GREBE winter, COURTING
similar to adult winter; Pairs of Great Crested Grebes perform complex courting rituals, diving Seen in the UK
see p.60 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
underwater and surfacing with weeds that they offer each other.
Length 46–51cm (18–20in) Wingspan 85–90cm (34–35in) Weight 800–1000g (29–36oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure
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