Black-necked Grebe
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 Breeding plumage
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| Podiceps nigricollis Brehm, 1831 |
The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis †, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe, Asia, Africa, northern South America and the southwest and western United States.
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[edit] Description
The Black-necked Grebe is 28–34 cm (12"-14") long. The adult is unmistakable in summer with a black head and neck and yellow ear tufts. In winter, this small grebe is white with a poorly defined black cap, which distinguishes it from the crisper-looking Slavonian Grebe.
[edit] Distribution
The North American subspecies, P. n. californicus is known as as the Eared Grebe. These birds migrate in winter, mostly to the Pacific Coast. Black-necked Grebes of the nominate subspecies P. n. nigricollis in the cooler temperate regions of the Old World also winter further south, with many European birds moving to the Mediterranean area. The isolated southern African race, P. n. gurneyi, named by South African ornithologist and author Austin Roberts in honour of father and son English bankers both named John Henry Gurney, is sedentary.
[edit] Behaviour
Like all grebes, the Black-necked Grebe nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually two eggs are laid, and the striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back. The Black-necked Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its prey underwater, eating mostly fish as well as aquatic insects and larvae. It prefers to escape danger by diving rather than flying, although it can easily rise from the water.
In courtship the male offers the female a mellow poo-ee-chk.
Folk names: eared diver.
† podiceps: Latin for podicis (rump) and pedis (foot), referring to the placement of the legs on its body; nigricollis: Latin for niger (dark or black) and collum (neck).
[edit] References
- Olgilvie and Rose, Grebes of the World ISBN 1-872842-03-8
- BirdLife International (2004). Podiceps nigricollis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
[edit] External links
- Eared Grebe - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Eared Grebe - eNature.com
- Eared Grebe Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds
- Eared Grebe - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
