The grebe is the common name for a large waterfowl. Otherwise, her name is grebe (from the Turkic verb "dive") or dive. The bird not only keeps well on the water, but is known as a famous diver. It is able to descend to a depth of 30 meters. From here came another nickname for the feathered one - the dive. For the protruding feathers on the head, the crested grebe is sometimes called the crested loon. And its Latin taxon Podiceps cristatus indicates the structure of the paws, which do not allow free movement on land.
Appearance
"Ears" sticking out on the head - a characteristic sign of a bird
Great grebe has a peculiar appearance, which makes it easy to recognize it among other waterfowl. Males are larger than females. Their average dimensions are:
- weight 0.7–1.5 kg;
- body length 45–60 cm;
- wing length up to 20 cm;
- wingspan 86–90 cm.
The body is dense, horizontally elongated. Paws with membranes are located closer to the tail. The wings are tightly pressed to the body. Under them there are special folds that form "pockets" in which the chicks hide.
The neck is long and flexible. During the nesting period, a collar of red feathers forms around it. The head is extended forward, ending in a long sharp beak.
The bird has a beautiful multi-color color: the back is reddish, the belly and neck are white. Thick plumage has water-repellent properties, so that the bird practically does not get wet.
With the onset of the mating season, the toadstool becomes especially conspicuous. Bunches of black feathers, vaguely resembling ears, begin to stick out on the head from both sides. By autumn, the feathers are smoothed out and the tufts disappear.
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Lifestyle
Grebe with a chick on its back
Grebe is perfectly adapted to the aquatic lifestyle. The bird spends most of its time swimming and diving. The bones of her skeleton have a cavity inside and are therefore very light, which makes it possible to dive to a great depth. The structure of the paws, which have dense processes on the sides, helps in swimming. They act like a kind of blades. But on a hard surface, the toadstool does not walk well.
Feeding occurs in many ways. In shallow places, the bird dives to the very bottom and picks out insect larvae, invertebrates, and mollusks from the ground with its beak. It can also forage from aquatic plants or water surfaces. The main part of the diet is fish (bleak, roach, perch, gudgeon). Her great grebe catches while diving. Periodically, the bird swallows small pebbles and its own feathers. Pebbles serve to grind food in the stomach, and feathers are wrapped around fish bones and prevent them from injuring the insides.
Individuals prefer to live in permanent pairs. Large colonies rarely form. In spring, birds perform ritual dances, and then proceed to build a nest (60 cm high and 80 cm in diameter). It is made from branches, grass, water plants. The nest is afloat, often half-flooded. Wet plants begin to decompose, thereby creating additional heat to heat the masonry.
The female lays 3 to 5 eggs. The bluish-white shell gradually darkens due to rotting plants. The incubation period lasts 24 days. Chicks appear within a few days, one after another. The babies climb on the mother's back and hide in her plumage. With a brood on her back, the female spends up to 2 months. From 40 to 60% of young animals die in the first days of life. Under favorable conditions and an abundance of food, a couple is able to breed offspring 2 times during the season.
Toadstool bird, grebe, and even diving - how many names for a whole family of waterfowl, which currently includes 19 species!
In the old days, their plumage was used as "fur", and the population of these birds was on the verge of extinction. Fortunately, these barbaric times have passed and now nothing threatens the grebes.
The bird was called a grebe for a reason. Toadstool among birds, which man has ever exterminated, is distinguished by tasteless meat, which smells very strongly of fish, which makes it impossible to eat.
At present, the most common type is big bastard. Bird also received the name dive (for its ability to dive to great depths).
In the photo, a bird is a large grebe
Features and habitat of the grebe bird
Toadstools are bright with a long sharp beak and a graceful body. The neck, breast and abdomen are white, the back is brown, and the sides are red. Remarkably, the sex of the bird does not affect its plumage and outwardly both sexes are exactly the same.
The chicks are greyish-black, which helps them to perfectly disguise themselves in the reeds, where the Great Grebes usually hide their broods. Young birds remain inconspicuous and gray until the first mating season, when their plumage finally blooms.
Toadstools are very uncomfortable on land because of the structure of their legs, which are strongly carried back, so they move with great difficulty. However, this feature makes them excellent swimmers.
In the photo, the red-necked grebe
The Pogankov family has collected very different birds. So, a large grebe weighs up to 1.5 kg, and the length of its body can compete with the length - as much as 51 cm. At the same time little grebe - bird, surprisingly small, because its weight does not exceed 150 grams.
The habitat of Great Grebe is Central Europe, Asia, South America, some parts of Africa and Australia with New Zealand. Dives are active regardless of the time of day. These are solitary birds and only during the period of nesting or cold weather gather in groups.
The nature and lifestyle of the grebe bird
Toadstool bird, photo which photo hunters love to do so much, is a waterfowl and can be found almost everywhere. Freshwater lakes, swamps, ponds - these are her favorite habitats.
Pictured is a small grebe bird
Divers like to settle in places where the coast is overgrown with reeds or any other dense vegetation. Toadstools prefer to winter in the south, if in summer they settled in the north, therefore dives are partially migratory.
In order to nest Grebes return closer to the north already at the end of February and only in late autumn tend to leave the nesting place and fly away.
During migrations, Grebes adhere to the channels of large rivers. They keep either singly or in small flocks of a maximum of 7-8 individuals, less often in pairs. The voice of the great grebe is loud, bright, even sharp. She makes croaking sounds: “crooo”, as well as “kuek-kuek”.
This bird is not in vain called the dive, because it swims and dives very well. When feeding, the grebe dives for 30-40 seconds, however, in case of danger, it can spend up to 3 minutes under water.
She moves underwater only with the help of her legs. It can take off only from the water and a long run, it flies quickly and straightforwardly. The whole life of the toadstool passes on the water, or in flight. On land, any bird from the order of grebes is extremely clumsy, waddling and with great difficulty.
Feeding the grebe bird
Toadstools are divided into two large groups: some feed on fish, others prefer arthropods. Large species of grebes feed on fish, for example, large grebe, bird like the little grebe, it will choose crustacean food or mollusks, as well as insects and their larvae. Large grebes are able to swallow fish up to 20-25 cm in length.
In addition to fish and arthropods, grebes are very fond of eating aquatic, tadpoles. From insects they prefer bedbugs, stoneflies, as well.
Toadstool family bird does not disdain plants, stones, even its own feathers. Crested grebe feathers are eaten only to protect the stomach from sharp fish bones. Feathers wrap around bones and other indigestible food, and the bird regurgitates it all out in the form of lumps.
While searching for food, the dive dive is completely immersed in water to explore the bottom. These amazing creatures can dive up to 25 meters! Under water, the dive moves noticeably faster than on water, and therefore it is not difficult to swim under water for a couple of tens of meters.
Reproduction and lifespan of a toadstool bird
Grebes form pairs that are monogamous in most cases. The mating dance of most large species of grebes is complex and spectacular. Partners move synchronously and their movements are similar to a real dance. Some species exchange seaweed after such a ritual, while others complete the dance by immersing themselves in water.
They mate exclusively on the shore and then choose the territory for the future nest and carefully guard it. However, some species of grebes nest next to and get along quite tolerably next to them. In such settlements, ducks also play an important role for grebes, warning them of impending enemies.
Pictured is a toadstool nest
Waterfowl grebe even the nest makes it buoyant. They attach the grebe nest to a reed or other vegetation convenient for this. The diameter of the nest can be up to 50 cm or more.
Female toadstools can lay up to 7 eggs, which, depending on the species, can be white, yellow or blue. Eggs in birds are small and at best make up about 5% of the weight of an adult bird.
Small species of great grebe have time to incubate up to three clutches, large species - maximum two clutches, and most often one. Incubation of eggs takes up to 30 days. If the grebe leaves the nest, it covers it with plants, which masks the nest from enemies.
After hatching, the chicks hide on the mother's back and allow the female to finish the hatching process. The male has the opportunity to feed the already hatched chicks.
The chicks spend up to 80 days on the back of their parents, until the moment when the chick becomes completely independent from the parents. They arrange fights for food and most often not all chicks survive.
Approximately half of the hatched chicks die in the first 20-30 days after they were born. The life expectancy of different species of grebe is different and varies from 10 to 30 years depending on the size and habitat.
Duck grebe, despite the unsightly name, is very beautiful in appearance. Great grebe, crested grebe, crested - all these are the names of a representative of the grebe family. From the article you can learn about the lifestyle and habitats of the bird.
Appearance and characteristics
In fact, grebe is not. They are similar only in size and from a distance in color. However, the name duck grebe has firmly entrenched among the people. It is no coincidence that the bird deserved the nickname. The specificity of eating shellfish and fish made the meat very tasteless, endowed with a sharp and unpleasant odor. According to the classification, the duck belongs to the waterfowl of the Pogankov family.
The bird looks like this:
- Body length 46-61 cm. Weight about 700 g.
- Small head, thin, long neck.
- The back is covered with dark brownish feathers.
- The wings are narrow and short.
- Belly, neck, head white.
- The beak is straight, elongated, red in color, with a curved tip.
Small wings and poorly developed muscles that set them in motion enable the bird to fly quickly, but without much maneuvering. Because of this, the duck moves in a straight line in the air and only lands on the water. When in contact with the ground, the grebe can be injured.
Attention! A distinctive point in the description of the grebe is the legs. Long fingers with folds are able to perform a 90º turn, stand along and across the movement.
The duck is an excellent swimmer and good diver. If necessary, it quickly sinks under water to a depth of 6-7 m.
By the mating season, elongated feathers grow on the head, forming sideburns and "horns". It was at this time that they try to capture the bird in the photo.
Lifestyle and places of residence
The toadstool lives in the eastern hemisphere of the Earth. In the southern regions, the duck lives permanently, in the northern regions it migrates for the winter. For nesting, grebes choose stagnant water bodies surrounded by dense vegetation.
The duck arrives in central Russia in April and begins to look for a mate. The growth of a tuft and sideburns on the head of birds indicates readiness for breeding.
The mating games of great grebes are very interesting. Having met each other, the male and the female take various enticing poses. Birds open their wings, stand up in columns. The ritual is not complete without “songs”. During the flirting period, the duck makes very loud sounds.
Once a pair is identified, a nest is built. The place is chosen hidden from prying eyes by dense aquatic vegetation. Each couple has their own, jealously guarded site. The games continue. Often there is a "dancing" couple with twigs in their beaks.
The nest of the Great Grebe is floating with a hole for eggs located in the center. Dry reed is used as building material. The width of the nests reaches half a meter. The same size part is under water. Duck lays 3-4 eggs.
Over time, parts of the plants begin to rot, which is accompanied by the release of heat. This helps the bird to safely incubate offspring surrounded by water. The babies born after 24 days already know how to swim and, together with their mother, go into the water. You can often see how a duck swims with a brood sitting on its back.
Attention! Toadstools are great parents. Both the father and mother constantly swim with the chicks, teaching the offspring the wisdom of life.
Having reached the age of 2.5 months, grebes move on to an independent lifestyle. By October, great grebes gather in flocks and go for the winter.
Bird food and natural enemies
Duck grebe spends almost all the time in the water. Accordingly, here he earns his livelihood. Insects, frogs, mollusks, crustaceans are used. The main food is fish. Until now, ornithologists have not established the reason for one of the nutritional features - the duck regularly swallows feathers. As a result, several feather lumps accumulate in the stomach. Some scientists argue that in this way the crested grebe digests food better. Others agree that the lumps are a kind of strainer for fish bones.
Of the natural enemies, the marsh harrier is noted. But even such a hardened predator is not easy to catch a crested bird. If the harrier appears in the field of view, the duck, together with the brood, dives under the water and swims out about 20 meters from the original location. The cubs are firmly held by the claws on the feathers on the back and maneuver with their mother.
The toadstool duck is a very interesting bird that ornithologists never tire of admiring, noticing more and more new features.
Great Grebe: video
Grebe or Great Grebe (lat. Podiceps cristatus) is a bird of the grebe-like order. Most often it can be found in lakes and ponds almost throughout Eurasia.
This tricolor bird is about the size of a duck, with a sharp elongated beak. Her lower body is silky white, her sides are red, her back is black.
Despite its offensive name, by the way, given for its absolutely tasteless meat, and in addition with a sharp unpleasant odor, this bird is very unusual and builds amazing nests.
Most often, toadstools can be seen on the water, under water, rarely in flight and almost never on the shore. Despite the fact that great grebes fly very reluctantly, they fly well and rather quickly. Grebes also feed on the water, diving for food. Under water, the great grebe very tightly presses its wings to the body and quickly rows with its paws, while the flexible neck of the bird is constantly in motion and the great grebe, swimming along the bottom, manages to look into every crack between the stones.
Great grebe practically does not leave the water, feeding on small fish, frogs, aquatic 
insects, small mollusks and a small amount of aquatic plants.
The mating ritual of grebes is amazing and unusual, like all life passing in the water. During this period, two bunches of dark feathers in the form of small horns stick out on the back of the head of the birds, and the head is framed from below with long feathers resembling sideburns. 
The very process of games is a demonstration of various poses with the deployment of wings and stretching of the neck, standing in front of each other in a column, with a pinch of algae clamped in the beak. During this period, great grebes emit far audible calls “kua”, “krua”, “korr”.
After the pair is formed, the birds begin to build their unusual nest. The couple nests on an island of floating peat or a small pile of dead vegetation, collecting leaves and reed stems from the surface of the reservoir. At the end of construction, the nest is a pile of rotten vegetation floating on the surface. In the middle of the nest is 
a depression where the female will subsequently lay 3-5 pure white eggs, however, due to the close proximity to rotting plants, the color of the eggs becomes brown.
In addition to the fact that the nest of the great grebe is in the water, sometimes it drifts, so it is also almost half flooded. According to some sources, the reason for the flooding of the nest is that the underwater part, consisting of old vegetation, rots and thereby creates additional heat, which helps to incubate as soon as possible. 
chicks.
Great Grebe chicks, as a rule, hatch after 24 days, and not at the same time as in most birds, but at intervals of 1-2 days, they are pubescent and ready to swim. Only after hatching, the chick immediately leaves the shell and hides in the warm feathers of the mother. Great Grebe with chicks on its back can even dive to great depths.
Appearance and behavior. The largest of our grebes. Body length 46–51 cm, wingspan 85–90 cm. It is distinguished by a long thin neck and a large, elongated head with a narrow and sharp straight beak. In the wedding attire, the head seems even larger due to the lush “whiskers” and the forked crest, resembling horns. He likes to stay in open water, dives in case of danger, takes off very hard and reluctantly, after a long run. In the air, however, grebes sometimes form flocks of a wedge-shaped shape characteristic of most waterfowl (from grebes, such structures were also seen in). In winter dress, it differs from the grey-cheeked grebe similar to it by the presence of a white eyebrow that separates the eye from the dark “cap”.
Description. In breeding attire, the body is grayish-brown (reddish sides, white belly), the neck is light, only a dark stripe stretches along its back side, chestnut-red “whiskers”, the cap and “horns” are black, the “face” is white, only from the corners of the mouth dark stripes stretch to the eyes. The eyes themselves are red, and the color of the beak can be from steel gray to bright pink. In a flying bird, large white spots on the wings are clearly visible - along the secondary flight feathers and along the leading edge of the wing, reaching the entire base of the wing. In the winter outfit, the "whiskers" and "horns" disappear, but otherwise the color remains approximately the same as in summer (only brownish and reddish tones are replaced by gray ones). Approximately the same as adult birds in winter, fully fledged young look, but they are distinguished by the presence of dark marks on the sides of the neck and cheeks. Downy chicks are completely striped (including the back and even the beak), with age the stripes on the back gradually disappear, on the head and neck they are noticeable much longer, until the appearance of adult plumage. Small chicks have unfeathered red patches of skin between the corners of the mouth and eyes, as well as on the forehead.
Voice Great Grebe is loud and loves to scream. Most often heard rolling " krroo", and with excitement - jerky" check-check". The chicks squeak almost continuously; in the reservoirs where the great grebe is common, this squeak forms a sound background in summer.
Distribution, status. Breeds almost throughout Eurasia (in Siberia - only in the south), local foci in Africa, Australia, New Zealand. Wintering places are located up to the tropical zone. In European Russia, the most widespread and numerous grebe. To the north it reaches Karelia, to the south - to the Black Sea coast. Our birds winter in the coastal waters of the Black and Azov Seas, but, like other grebes, in the presence of non-freezing water, the great grebe is able to winter almost anywhere. Not uncommon everywhere.
Lifestyle. Crested grebes need a fairly large body of water rich in fish to breed. Willingly settles on reservoirs, ponds of fish farms, as well as on natural lakes. It nests most often near the outer (that is, facing the stretch) edge of reed beds, the nest is a floating pile of damp, rotten plant remains. Where there are many great grebes, they are quite tolerant of the neighborhood of their own kind, and sometimes the nests are located several meters from one another. However, real nesting colonies, in contrast to
