Jump to content

Little grebe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Little grebe
Two adults in breeding plumage, below with feathers pressed against the body, for low buoyancy
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Tachybaptus
Species:
T. ruficollis
Binomial name
Tachybaptus ruficollis
(Pallas, 1764)
alt=Global range   breeding   resident   non-breeding   vagrant (seasonality uncertain)
Synonyms

Podiceps ruficollis

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".[2]

At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

Taxonomy

[edit]

The little grebe was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name Colymbus ruficollis.[3][4][5] The tricolored grebe was formerly considered conspecific, with some taxonomic authorities still considering it so.

Seven subspecies are currently accepted, four widespread, and three with restricted ranges; they are separated principally by size, eye colour, and extent of white on the secondary feathers of the wing.[6][7][8]

  • T. r. ruficollis – (Pallas, 1764): nominate, from Europe and western Russia south to North Africa. Eye dark brown; secondaries with no or minimal white.
  • T. r. albescens – (Blanford, 1877): Southern Asia, in Sri Lanka, the Indian subcontinent, and east to Burma. Eye orange to yellow; bill short; secondaries with extensive white.
  • T. r. iraquensis – (Ticehurst, 1923): Persian Gulf area in southeastern Iraq and southwestern Iran. Eye dark brown; bill short; secondaries with extensive white.
  • T. r. capensis – (Salvadori, 1884): Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Comoros. Eye reddish brown; secondaries with extensive white.
  • T. r. poggei – (Reichenow, 1902): found from southeastern to northeastern Asia, Korea, Hainan, Taiwan, Japan, and south Kuril Islands. Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with no or minimal white.
  • T. r. philippensis – (Bonnaterre, 1790): northern Philippines.
  • T. r. cotabato – (Rand, 1948): Mindanao in the Philippines.

Description

[edit]

The little grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds.

Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black in adulthood.

In winter, its size, buff plumage, with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The little grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated weet-weet-weet or wee-wee-wee which sounds like a horse whinnying.

Distribution

[edit]

This bird breeds in small colonies in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe, much of Asia down to New Guinea, and most of Africa. Most birds move to more open or coastal waters in winter, but it is only migratory in those parts of its range where the waters freeze. Outside of breeding season, it moves into more open water, occasionally even appearing on the coast in small bays.[1]

Behaviour

[edit]

The little grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver and pursues its fish and aquatic invertebrate prey underwater. It uses the vegetation skilfully as a hiding place.

Like all grebes, it nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually four to seven eggs are laid. When the adult bird leaves the nest it usually takes care to cover the eggs with weeds. This makes it less likely to be detected by predators.[9] The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults.[10] In India, the species breeds during the rainy season.[11]

[edit]
  • Grèbe castagneux Lac de Tunis
    Grèbe castagneux Lac de Tunis
  • Breeding plumage
    Breeding plumage
  • Nest at edge of lake in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
    Nest at edge of lake in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
  • Chick
    Chick
  • Diving at Delta del Llobregat, Barcelona
    Diving at Delta del Llobregat, Barcelona
  • Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
    Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
  • Grebe in breeding plumage
    Grebe in breeding plumage
  • Grebe displaying its webbed feet
    Grebe displaying its webbed feet
  • Little grebe in winter plumage
    Little grebe in winter plumage
  • Season's new born
    Season's new born

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Tachybaptus ruficollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22696545A111716447. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22696545A111716447.en. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. ^ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 341, 377. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume. Vol. 1 (1 Second ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 143.
  4. ^ Sherborn, C. Davies (1905). "The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 47: 332–341 [339 No. 281]. Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.
  5. ^ Rookmaaker, L.C.; Pieters, F.F.J.M. (2000). "Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer". Contributions to Zoology. 69 (4): 271–277. doi:10.1163/18759866-06904005.
  6. ^ Ogilvie, Malcolm; Rose, Chris (2003). Grebes of the World. Bruce Coleman. ISBN 978-1-872842-03-5.
  7. ^ Mlíkovský, J. (2010). "Systematic notes on Asian birds: 74. A preliminary review of the grebes, Family Podicipedidae". British Ornithologists' Club Occasional Publication. 5: 125–131. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  8. ^ Gill, F.; Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2024). "Grebes, flamingos". IOC World Bird List (v 14.2). doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.11.1.
  9. ^ Prokop, Pavel; Trnka, Alfréd (2011). "Why do grebes cover their nests? Laboratory and field tests of two alternative hypotheses" (PDF). Journal of Ethology. 29: 17–22. doi:10.1007/s10164-010-0214-4. S2CID 24531647. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-14.
  10. ^ Finn, Frank (1905). "Notes on the nesting of the Indian Dabchick". Bird Notes. 4: 10–17.
  11. ^ Dalgliesh, Gordon (1906). "Notes on the Indian Podicipedidae". The Avicultural Magazine. 5 (2): 65–72.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachybaptus ruficollis.
Wikispecies has information related to Tachybaptus ruficollis.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Little_grebe&oldid=1255460401"