Great Crested Grebe
| Class: Aves: Birds |
Diet: Fish |
| Order:
Podicipediformes: Grebes |
| Size: 51
cm (20 in) |
| Family: Podicipedidae:
Grebes |
Conservation Status:
Non-threatened |
| Scientific Name:
Podiceps cristatus |
Habitat: lakes, ponds,
rivers, coastal waters |
| Range:
Europe, Asia, Africa, south of the Sahara; Australia, New Zealand |
 Easily
recognized on water by its long slender neck and daggerlike bill, the great
crested grebe is rarely seen on land, where it moves awkwardly, or in flight.
It feeds mainly on fish, which it catches by diving from the surface of
the water. The great crested is one of the largest grebes; adults are particularly
striking in their breeding plumage, when they sport a double-horned crest
on the head and frills on the neck. In winter this crest is much reduced,
the frills lost and the head largely white. The sexes look alike, but males
generally have longer bills and larger crests and frills. Before mating,
these grebes perform an elegant mutual courtship dance to establish the
pair bond. Both partners perform head-wagging and reed-holding displays
and other ritualized movements. They mate on a reed platform near the nest,
which is among the reeds. The female lays 2 to 7 eggs, which are incubated
by both parents for 27 to 29 days.
  
|
