summer adult

summer adult winter adult European distribution summer

Identification

They are the largest European grebes with slender white necks in all plumages. In winter the face is mostly pale with just a narrow black, slightly crested, cap. In summer this pattern develops into elaborate black and chestnut plumes called tippets. In flight they appear hump-backed with conspicuously pale panels in the long narrow wings.

Habitat

Breeds on lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs and slow moving rivers. Winters on estuaries, lakes and reservoirs.

Behaviour

Their courtship displays are remarkable. Most commonly they involve both members of a pair facing each other on the water and repeatedly shaking their heads or quickly turning the head away and touching their back. Such birds may then swim away, dive for nesting material then swim towards each other with their necks out flat on the water in front of them. When they meet, they rise up together as if they're standing on the water facing each other, beaks full of vegetation, waving their heads from side to side and paddling like fury with their feet. The standing posture gives this the name of ‘Penguin display’. Another display involves holding the wings out sideways and turning them so that the feathers face forwards, showing as much as possible of their black and white wing pattern. Like other grebes, they will carry their young on their backs.

Migration

In winter birds move larger lakes and reservoirs or move into sheltered sea bays. Most northerly breeders move south for the winter during September-November, returning March-April.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Great Crested Grebe is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Venus Pool, Shrops 08/02/2010	Venus Pool, Shrops 08/02/2010	Oxford Island NNR, Armagh 22/08/2009	Barnes WWT, London 06/02/2010	Pitsford Resr, Northants 01/02/2010
Pitsford Resr, Northants 01/02/2010	Whitlingham CP, Norfolk 23/01/2010	Whitlingham CP, Norfolk 23/01/2010	Freiston Shore RSPB, Lincs 20/01/2010	Summer Leys, Northants 03/04/2009

 View all pictures of Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Britain
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

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