Specie's Page                                               Water Fowl - Eurasian Coots

Little Grebe - UK Status: Native and resident.

Habitat: This small grebe is also known as the Dabchick, and is not easy to observe. They constantly dive under the water when disturbed, and often skulk about in reed beds.  Their brighter summer plumage of these birds differs somewhat to their drabber winter plumage, juvenile plumage also differs to that of the adult birds. In the summer they tend to inhabit less open, more weedy water courses with lots of vegetation around the edges. Such places are canals, pools, gravel pits and small lakes. In winter they can be found in concentrations on larger bodies of water, including river estuaries.

Breeding: Little Grebes nest at the waters edge, as their legs are not suited to coming on land. Their nests are floating structures that are anchored to submerged, rooted vegetation, or bushes close to the waters edge. Nests are constructed of decaying waterweed, reeds, rushes and grass They lay four to seven white eggs, and there is usually two, and sometimes three broods a year.

Comment: This grebe is fairly common and widespread throughout most of the British Isles.