Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Also known as EARED GREBE in the USA.

Photo by martinuk

Identification

A medium-sized grebe, distinctive when breeding but needs to be distinguished from Slavonian Grebe in winter. Adult breeding: blackish above shading to browner towards the rump, breast black, flanks mottled rufous and black. Head and neck black, slight crest on rearcrown. Tuft of golden-yellow begins from eye and droops down over ear-coverts. Iris red, bill black, legs blackish-grey. Adult non-breeding: dull grey-brown and white but looks black and white from any distance. Dark of crown extends to well below level of eye and merges with grey ear-coverts thus less clearly demarcated compared to Slavonian. Juvenile: resembles non-breeding adult but browner with cheeks tinged buff. Flight: upperwing shows broad white trailing edge to secondaries but lacks white of forewing base seen in Slavonian. At all seasons slightly upturned bill distinguishes from Slavonian and in non-breeding plumage the more diffuse border between dark and light on head is useful.

Length 28-34cm. Wingspan 57cm.

Range

Widespread in the both the Old and New Worlds but with a more southerly range than that of Slavonian Grebe P. auritus. Migratory in northern parts of range.

In North America breeds from southern British Columbia east to southern Manitoba and south to Baja California and southern Texas. South American range very restricted and found only on mountain lakes in the Andes north of Bogota, Colombia. In Europe has a highly discontinuous breeding range but small populations persist in many Central and Eastern European countries. Largely absent from the north and west but there are small populations in Britain, central and eastern France, Belgium and central and southern Spain. Main range extends from Denmark and eastern Germany eastwards to the southern Urals and Caspian. Patchy range in the south-east with scattered populations in the Balkans and Turkey. Range extends east to Central Asia and also breeds in eastern China and the Russian Far East. Range also very patchy in Africa mainly in the east and south with breeding probable in Ethiopia and Kenya, Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

Winters in the Americas on the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California, across the southern USA from California to Texas and south to Guatemala. Main wintering range in Europe lies from southern Britain and the Netherlands south to Biscay and around much of the Mediterranean and Turkey. In recent decades has begun to winter regularly in the Canary Islands. Vagrants recorded in Norway and Finland and south to the Azores and Madeira.

Habitat

Breeds on small and shallow, densely vegetated freshwaters, in Eurasia often in association with Black-headed Gulls. Breeding sites are frequently abandoned in favour of new sites for no apparent reason. In winter on larger, more open freshwaters, estuaries and sheltered seas.

Breeding

Breeding begins mid-April in south of range to June in north, probably year-round in Africa. Breeds colonially, nest is a low mound of vegetation anchored to emergent vegetation in shallow water. Eggs: 3-5 (rarely 2-8), whitish initially soon becoming stained (44 x 30mm). Incubated by both sexes but mainly female for 20-21 days. Young tended by both sexes but divide brood in later stages, young able to feed themselves at 14 days, independent at 21 days. Single-brooded, possibly double-brooded at times.

Diet

Aquatic insects and their larvae, small fish, amphibians and crustaceans.

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognised. Race californicus occurs in North America and andinus in Colombia, nominate race in Eurasia and gurneyi in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bird Song

A wide range of calls when breeding including a display trill, a whistling 'bidder-widder-widder' and a low 'poo-eep'. Alarm call is 'whit' repeated 2-3 times.

<flashmp3>Podiceps nigricollis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
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External Links

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