Wildlifeof Sulawesi
Little Grebe
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Tachybaptus ruficollis
Basic stats
Diet
Fish and aquatic invertebrates
Habitat
Well-vegetated freshwater lakes and ponds; more open water outside the breeding season
Range
Europe, much of Asia to New Guinea, and most of Africa
Clutch size
4–7 eggs
Size
23–29cm
The little grebe, or dabchick, is a small water bird with a pointed bill, 23–29cm long. In breeding plumage it is dark above with a rich rufous neck, cheeks and flanks and a bright yellow gape. Outside the breeding season the rufous turns a dirty brownish-grey, and its small size, buff plumage with darker back and cap, and fluffy rear make it easy to identify. Juveniles have striped cheeks and a yellow bill that darkens with age. Its breeding call is a trilling weet-weet-weet likened to a horse whinnying (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is an excellent swimmer and diver, chasing fish and aquatic invertebrates underwater and using vegetation as cover. Its legs are set far back and it walks poorly, so it nests at the water's edge, laying four to seven eggs that the adult covers with weed when it leaves. The chicks swim soon after hatching and are often carried on a parent's back. Ten subspecies are recognised. In India it is resident with a very large range of about 1.8 million km²; SoIB 2023 finds its trends uncertain and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).
Quick answers
- What does the Little Grebe eat?
- Fish and aquatic invertebrates
- What habitat does the Little Grebe live in?
- Well-vegetated freshwater lakes and ponds; more open water outside the breeding season
- Where is the Little Grebe found?
- Europe, much of Asia to New Guinea, and most of Africa
- How many eggs does the Little Grebe lay?
- 4–7 eggs
- How big is the Little Grebe?
- 23–29cm