Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
To escape danger silently, they can submerge their entire body while keeping only their eyes and nostrils above the water like a tiny submarine.
- Scientific name
- Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Podicipediformes › Podicipedidae › Tachybaptus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater ponds, lakes, slow-flowing rivers, and reservoirs with abundant emergent vegetation.
- Diet
- Aquatic insects, larvae, small fish, amphibians, and crustaceans.
- Range
- Europe, Asia, Africa
- Size
- Length: 23-29 cm, Wingspan: 40-45 cm, Weight: 120-224 g
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, water pollution, human disturbance from water sports, and accidental drowning in gillnets.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are extremely shy and will dive underwater or hide in reed beds if approached. Observe from a safe distance of at least 20 meters using binoculars to avoid disrupting their nesting or feeding. Do not attempt to handle them.
The little grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), also known as dabchick , is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis , "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".
Photo: Zinogre, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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