Wednesday 16 October 2013

Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Podiceps ("vent-foot") grisegena ("grey cheek")
Adult Winter-plumage Red-necked Grebe (subspecies P. g. grisegena) at Richmond Park, London - October 2013

Featured Subspecies: Podiceps grisegena grisegena

Weight: 692-925g  /  Length: 40-50cm  /  Wingspan: 77-85cm
UK AMBER LIST  /  LEAST CONCERN - IUCN Red List

The Red-necked Grebe is by far the hardest of Britain's regular Grebes to track down, while the other species have at least small breeding populations, the Red-necked is only an occasional breeder with a small number of attempts in the last few decades.  It is also seemingly far more marine based than the other grebes, often found around the coast.  It took quite a few visits to different sites before I finally managed to catch up with this species, it seems to stay in one location for smaller lengths of time than the other migrant grebes.

Related Species:
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Podiceps
Subspecies: P. g. grisegena, P. g. holboelii

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A rare Winter migrant (55 individuals) and occasional breeder.
 - A single vagrant at Richmond Park in October 2013,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPBWikipedia, Xeno-canto

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