Birds · Podicipediformes · Podicipedidae

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the smallest grebe in Europe, able to vanish underwater in an instant at the slightest hint of danger. It carries its chicks on its back through their first few weeks.

Weight

100 g – 300 g

Size

23 cm – 29 cm

Lifespan

13 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Freshwater

47countries 139parks5same family

Fun facts

It is the smallest grebe in Europe and can vanish underwater in an instant at any sign of danger.
It carries its chicks on its back through their first few weeks.
Its courtship call sounds like the whinny of a small horse.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Lakes, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and marshes of Europe, Asia, Africa and northern Australia
Birth weight: Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Precocial, with black and white striped down, carried on its parents' backs
Sexual maturity: 1 year
Gestation / incubation: 20-27 days
Litter / clutch size: 2 to 7 eggs per clutch (most commonly 4-6)

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Via Pontica; Birdfact; The Wildlife Trusts; AnimalHub; BDI; Animalia.bio; Birds of the World; Wikipedia (Little grebe)