Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

Other Names (World)
Black-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe

Family
Podicipedidae (Grebes)

Size
28 - 34 cm
Wingspan: 58 cm

First Described (Guide)
Brehm, 1831

Habitat
Breeds on shallow ponds that have abundant vegetation. Coastal waters in winter. From sea-level - 2,500 m.

Range (Guide)

Afghanistan (B), Albania (B) (NB), Algeria, Armenia (B) (NB), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Bahrain (NB) (P), Belarus (B), Belgium (B) (NB), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B) (NB), Botswana, Bulgaria (B) (NB), Canada (B), China (mainland), Costa Rica, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB), Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B), Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, France (B) (NB) (P), Georgia (B) (NB), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Guatemala, Hungary (B) (NB), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B) (NB) (P), Iraq (NB), Ireland (B) (NB), Israel (NB), Italy (NB), Japan, Jordan (NB) (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B) (NB), Latvia (B), Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein (B), Lithuania (B), Luxembourg, Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malta (NB), Mexico, Moldova [Republic of] (B), Mongolia (B), Montenegro (B) (NB), Morocco, Namibia (B), Nepal, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Poland (B) (NB), Portugal (NB), Romania (B) (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Saudi Arabia (NB), Serbia (B) (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B) (NB) (P), Slovenia (B) (NB), South Africa (B), South Korea, Spain (B) (NB), Sudan (B), Sweden (B), Switzerland (B) (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan (China), Tajikistan, Tanzania [United Republic of], Tunisia (NB), Turkey (B) (NB) (P), Uganda, Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates (NB), United Kingdom (B) (NB), USA (B), Uzbekistan (B), Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe (B).

Vagrant to Angola, Bermuda, Cameroon, Finland, Gibraltar, Hong Kong (China), Myanmar, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Swaziland.

Population
Estimated population is 3,900,000 - 4,200,000 (2010).

Status LC
Pollution and susceptibility to avian diseases are the main threats.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Mainly fish, aquatic insects and their larvae.

Voice
Two soft call-notes and a whinnying call, less noisy than Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) during the breeding season. Otherwise silent.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (87)...)

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) [XC26932]
by Jarek Matusiak from Hornborgarsj\u00f6n, V\u00e4sterg\u00f6tland, Sweden (song)

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) [XC578260]
by Bram Vogels from Catnip Reservoir, Washoe County, Nevada, United States (call)

Nest
A floating or grounded mound of vegetation. In loose colonies.

Eggs (Guide)
3 or 4; white, but soon stained by weeds; ellipsoidal. Incubation: about 21 days; by both sexes.

Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Colombian Grebe (Podiceps andinus), Southern Silvery Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis) and Junin Grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii).

The following 3 subspecies are recognised:

nigricollis Brehm, 1831 - Europe to western Asia, wintering south-western Palearctic; central-eastern Asia, wintering eastern Asia; eastern Africa.
gurneyi (Roberts, 1919) - Southern Africa.
californicus Heermann, 1854 - South-western Canada, western USA, north-western and central Mexico. Winters south to Guatemala.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) - 10 files

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