About Podiceps grisegena (Boddaert, 1783)
The red-necked grebe, scientifically named Podiceps grisegena (Boddaert, 1783), is a medium-large grebe species. It is smaller than the great crested grebe of Eurasia, and the western and Clark's grebes of North America, but is noticeably larger than all other northern grebe species. In breeding plumage, the red-necked grebe has a black cap that extends below the eye, very pale grey cheeks and throat, a rusty red neck, dark grey back and flanks, and white underparts. Its eyes are dark brown, and its long, pointed bill is black with a yellow base. The red-necked grebe's winter plumage is duskier than that of other grebes; its dark grey cap is less defined, and merges into the grey face, while a pale crescent curving around the rear of the face contrasts with the rest of the head. The front of the neck is whitish or light grey, the hind neck is darker grey, and the yellow marking on the bill is less obvious than it is in summer. While the red-necked grebe is easily identifiable in breeding plumage, it is much less distinctive in winter and can be confused with similar species. It is larger than the Slavonian (horned) grebe, with a relatively larger bill and a grey face rather than a white face. It is closer in size to the Eurasian great crested grebe, but that species has a longer neck, a more contrasting head pattern, and always shows white plumage above the eye. Male and female red-necked grebes have similar appearance, although males on average are heavier than females. Red-necked grebe chicks have a striped head and breast; older juveniles have a striped face, diffuse blackish cap, pale red neck and extensive yellow on the bill. When flying, the red-necked grebe holds its long neck extended and lets its large feet trail behind its body, creating a stretched-out appearance. Its relatively small wings are grey with white secondaries, and beat very rapidly. The small wing area of this grebe means it cannot take off from land, and requires a lengthy run across water to gain enough speed for take-off. Like all grebes, the red-necked grebe is an expert swimmer. It uses its feet for propulsion when underwater, and steers by rotating its legs, because its tail is too short to be used for steering. The red-necked grebe is one of the most vocal grebe species during the breeding season, but like its relatives, it is mostly silent for the rest of the year. It has a loud, wailing or howling display call transcribed as uooooh, given by a single bird or a pair calling in duet. Calls may be given by night or by day, and often when the bird is in cover. Long sequences of up to 60 consecutive notes may be delivered during singing encounters between rival territorial birds. The species also produces a wide variety of quacking, clucking, hissing, rattling and purring calls, with a great deal of individual variation in calls. Red-necked grebes breed in shallow freshwater lakes, bays of larger lakes, marshes, and other inland bodies of water, most often on bodies of water less than 3 ha (7.4 acres) in extent and less than 2 m (6.6 ft) deep. The red-necked grebe prefers waters in forested areas or, further north, in shrub tundra, and favours breeding sites with abundant emergent vegetation such as reedbeds. The best available breeding habitat for this species is fish-ponds, which have abundant food while also meeting the species' other habitat requirements. The American subspecies is less tied to areas with high aquatic plant density, and sometimes breeds on quite open lakes. All populations of red-necked grebe are migratory, and winter mainly at sea, usually in estuaries and bays, but often well offshore where fish are within diving reach near shallow banks or islands. The preferred habitat during migration passage and the winter season is water less than 15 m (49 ft) deep with a sand or gravel bottom, scattered rocks and patches of seaweed. In winter, red-necked grebes typically feed alone and rarely gather into flocks, but during migration, concentrations of more than 2000 individuals may gather at favoured staging sites. Migration usually happens at night, but can occur during the day, especially when the birds are travelling over water. This pattern is particularly noticeable in autumn on the Great Lakes, when up to 18,000 birds may pass Whitefish Point on Lake Superior; these birds are thought to be Canadian breeders heading to the Atlantic Ocean to winter. This easterly migration route is longer than the route to the Pacific, but avoids the Rocky Mountains. The breeding range of the red-necked grebe overlaps with that of the Slavonian grebe, although the Slavonian grebe tends to be displaced from sites that are suitable for both species. The red-necked grebe prefers an inland temperate climate, and is less successful near coasts and in subarctic and warm temperate zones. It is usually a lowland bird, breeding below 100 m (330 ft), although it has been recorded nesting at up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft) in Turkey. The nominate subspecies breeds from southern Sweden and Denmark through central and eastern Europe east to western Siberia, and winters mainly in the North and Baltic Seas, with smaller numbers found in the Adriatic, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean and on inland lakes. P. g. holbolii breeds in North America in Alaska, western and central Canada, and the northern United States east to Minnesota; in Asia it nests in eastern Siberia from Kamchatka south to Hokkaido and west to Mongolia. Asian P. g. holbolii winter at sea from Japan to the East China Sea, and American P. g. holbolii winter in the Pacific, mainly from southern Alaska to British Columbia (with smaller numbers going south to California), and in the Atlantic from Newfoundland and Labrador to Florida. Some birds remain on the Great Lakes if those lakes are sufficiently ice-free. This species occurs as a rare winter vagrant in Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northern and western India.
