- Podiceps occipitalis
Identification
L. 28cm: A small South American grebe with distinctive breeding plumage.
Adult breeding: Dark grey-brown above, white below with black streaking on flanks. Crown grey with nape and hindneck black, forehead and ear-coverts soft grey and throat and foreneck white. Tuft of long dull yellow plumes on each side of head behind eye drooping down over ear-coverts.
Adult non-breeding: as breeding adult but lacks yellow plumes.
Similar Species
Distinguished from White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland by black nape patch and white foreneck.
Distribution
Western South America from Colombia and Ecuador south to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. Partial migrant.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognised[1]:
- P. o. juninensis:
- P. o. occipitalis:
- Andes of central Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands
These differ in plumage as shown in the photos. Birds of Chile (Jaramillo, Burke and Beadle) proposes that the two forms are better seen as full species.
Habitat
Mountain lakes, more coastal areas after breeding
Behaviour
Diet
Aquatic insects and their larvae, fish and small crustaceans.
Breeding
They lay 2 bluish-white eggs in December in a floating nest made of aquatic vegetation.
Vocalisation
Call: Clucking and twittering calls.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Birdforum discussion thread for Id and taxonomy of this species
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Silvery Grebe. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Silvery_Grebe
