Dabchick
The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis ), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".
At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Little grebe is a small water bird that is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its wide range. Adult birds are unmistakable in summer; they are predominantly dark above with their rich, rufous color neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds. Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles grow, eventually turning black in adulthood.
Little grebes are found across Europe, much of Asia down to New Guinea, and most of Africa. They are only migratory in those parts of their range where the waters freeze. These birds breed in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, ponds, sheltered bays, reservoirs, slow-flowing rivers, lagoons, swamps, and rice-fields. Outside of the breeding season, they move into more open water, occasionally even appearing on the coast in small bays and estuaries.
Little grebes are diurnal birds; they are excellent swimmers and divers and pursue their prey underwater. They are clumsy on land and rarely come ashore. Little grebes are generally solitary and outside of the breeding season prefer to be singly or may sometimes gather in small groups of 5-30 individuals. These are very shy and wary birds and when disturbed they will dive or lurk into nearby vegetation. Little grebes are often heard by their loud whining trill and their 'bee-eep' calls.
Little grebes are carnivores (insectivores, piscivores). Their diet consists of insects, small fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and amphibians.
Little grebes are monogamous breeders. This means that males will mate with only one female and females will mate with only one male. The time of breeding varies with location; in India, it usually occurs during the rainy season. They usually breed in small colonies and may produce 2-3 clutches per breeding season. Grebes nest at the water's edge, since their legs are set very far back and they cannot walk well. The nests are floating constructions of vegetation anchored to submerged water plants. Females lay four to seven eggs that are incubated by both parents within 20-25 days. When the adult bird leaves the nest it usually covers the eggs with weeds. This makes it less likely to be detected by predators. The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults. Little grebes become reproductively mature when they are 1 year old.
Little grebes suffer from the destruction of the wetland habitat and from pollution. In Iran, these birds are hunted and sold for food. Little grebes are also susceptible to outbreaks of avian influenza.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Little grebe population size is around 610,000-3,500,000 individuals. The European population consists of 129,000-208,000 pairs, which equates to 258,000-417,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...