The little grebe is a small water bird, and while common across England and Wales, it’s adept at hiding or diving away from danger. Their diving prowess gives them their scientific name Tachybaptus from the Ancient Greek, meaning ‘to quickly sink under’.
Little grebes and our canals
The little grebe might be a common resident, but they often opt to live amid the vegetation at the edges of our canals, rivers and reservoirs – and easily go unnoticed. Populations swell in winter to around 16,000 individuals as migrants fly south.
How to identify a little grebe
Little grebe
The little grebe is a dumpy, brown bird with fluffy, round bottoms and legs placed far back on the body. This makes them excellent divers but clumsy at walking on land. During the breeding season, male little grebes develop bright chestnut colouring on their throat and cheeks.
Juveniles are dark brown or black with gold and white stripes. They have a yellow bill that gradually darkens as they age.
What do little grebes eat?
As small diving birds, little grebes largely survive on insects, tadpoles, small molluscs and even small fish. They can dive up to a metre into the water for food or to escape predators.
How do little grebes breed?
Little grebe pairs form strong bonds and build floating nests on shallow water between February and September. The female lays between four and six eggs, which she takes care to cover with leaves when leaving the nest. Incubated by both parents, the eggs hatch after 20-25 days.
Chicks are born able to swim and dive, but they’re often seen riding their parent’s backs.
Where do little grebes live?
Little grebes spend their lives on the water, nesting on floating platforms and only coming ashore to breed. They live along the edges of our canals, rivers, streams and reservoirs. They sometimes live in brackish or coastal habitats.
So good at hiding in the vegetation, little grebes can sometimes be hard to spot. They’re easier to see in winter when the greenery dies back and migrants increase numbers. You might see them disappearing under the water and resurfacing an impressive distance away.
What sound does a little grebe make?
Despite their shy nature, little grebes are rather vocal and make a distinctive call. This whinnying weet-weet-weet trill can sound somewhat like a horse.
