Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Great Crested Grebe is a large, long-necked waterbird native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, with no regular wild range in the United States. Pairs face each other and shake their heads, sometimes presenting water plants during . Parents may carry newly hatched chicks on their backs.

Appearance

Appearance: This is a large, elegant grebe about 19 in (49 cm) long, with a long white neck and pointed bill. Breeding adults have black twin and rusty feathers around the cheeks; nonbreeding birds have a bright white face and neck with a dark line through the eye.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: large lakes
reservoirs
slow rivers with reed beds
Range: Its regular range lies outside the United States, across much of Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. It uses open fresh water with reedy edges for nesting and may move to sheltered coastal water in winter.
Seasonal presence: It is not a regular wild U.S. bird.

Behavior

Diet: It dives mainly for fish and also takes other aquatic animals.
Social life: Pairs face each other, raise their crests, shake their heads, and sometimes present water plants during courtship. After hatching, the parents may carry small chicks on their backs for up to about three weeks.

Life cycle

Nest: Both adults build a of aquatic plants among reeds or other waterside vegetation.
Clutch size: 1–9 eggs, usually 3–4
Incubation: Both parents and care for the young.

Name and classification

About the name: The Eurasian Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus cristatus) is the . The African Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus infuscatus) and Southern Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus australis) occur in other parts of the range.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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