Red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena

Features

The red-necked grebe got its name from its appearance. During mating, the red-necked grebe has a red-brown neck, a white face and throat, and a black hat on the head.

Species	Bird
Living space	Lake, Pond, Shore, Swamp
Size	40 - 46 cm
Weight	800 -1600 g

Description

It is a bit smaller than the great crested grebe, which also has an interesting mating dance in which the partners, vertically extending their necks, lift up from the water touching each other’s beaks. They search for food under water, and their prey mostly includes invertebrates, water insects and their larvae. After completing the nesting, they individually or in small flocks move to western and southern Europe for the winter. They prefer to spend the colder part of the year at the seaside, where large flocks keep to shallow areas rich in fish. In Slovenia, we can spot them year-round, while their nesting has only beenconfirmed on Cerknica Lake. In winter, a handful of couples nesting in Slovenia are joined by a larger number of couples from northeastern Europe.