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Latin name

Podiceps grisegena

Family

Grebes (Podicipedidae)

Overview

Like all grebes it is an expert swimmer and diver. In winter plumage it is similar to a great crested grebe but has has a thicker neck, and a stout dark bill with a yellow base. It has a brown body, a black crown with whitish cheeks and, in summer, a red neck and breast. Breeding has been suspected in the UK but the potential sites are kept secret and birds given special protection to protect them. Fewer than 20 individuals spend the summer in the UK each year, with numbers increasing slightly in the winter when birds move here from colder Europe.

Where to see them

The best place is from seawatching points around the east coast of the UK in winter. Summering birds are mainly found in the south and east of England.

When to see them

Winter

What they eat

Fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects

Estimated numbers

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.

Distribution

Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.

Audio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100)

2 illustrations 12

Winter

Summer

Similar birds

Great crested grebe

Black-necked grebe

Slavonian grebe