Editing Little grebe

{{short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Little grebe
| image = Little grebe Zwergtaucher.jpg
| image2 = Tachybaptus ruficollis - Bueng Boraphet.jpg
| image2_caption = Two adults in breeding plumage, below with feathers pressed against the body, for low [[buoyancy]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | year = 2017 | title = ''Tachybaptus ruficollis'' |amends=2016 | volume = 2017 | page = e.T22696545A111716447 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22696545A111716447.en | access-date = 27 February 2022 }}</ref>
| genus = Tachybaptus
| species = ruficollis
| authority = ([[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1764)
| synonyms = ''Podiceps ruficollis''
| range_map = TachybaptusRuficollisIUCN2019-2.png
| range_map_caption = 
| range_map_alt =   Global range
<br>{{align|left|{{color box|#00FF00}} breeding }}
<br>{{align|left|{{color box|#008000}} resident }}
<br>{{align|left|{{color box|#007FFF}} non-breeding }}
<br>{{align|left|{{color box|#FF00FF}} vagrant (seasonality uncertain) }}
}}

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 [[Neo-Latin|Modern Latin]] ''-collis'', "-necked", itself derived from Latin ''collum'' "neck".<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=[[Christopher Helm]]| location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n341 341], 377}}</ref>

At {{convert|23|to|29|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=off}} in length it is the smallest [[Europe]]an member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

==Taxonomy==
The little grebe was described by the German naturalist [[Peter Simon Pallas]] in 1764 and given the [[binomial name]] ''Colymbus ruficollis''.<ref>{{ cite book | last1=Mayr | first1=Ernst | author1-link=Ernst Mayr| last2=Cottrell | first2=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume | volume=1 | edition=1 Second | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=143 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108783 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite journal | last=Sherborn | first=C. Davies | year=1905 | title=The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764 | journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections | volume=47 | pages=332–341 [339 No. 281] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8812106 }} Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.</ref><ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Rookmaaker  | first1=L.C. | last2=Pieters | first2=F.F.J.M. | year=2000 | title=Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer | journal=Contributions to Zoology | volume=69 | issue=4 | pages=271–277 | url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/571856 | doi=10.1163/18759866-06904005 | doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[tricolored grebe]] was formerly considered conspecific, with some taxonomic authorities still considering it so. 

===Subspecies===
Seven subspecies are currently accepted, four widespread, and three with restricted ranges; they are separated principally by size, eye colour, which varies from dark to light from west to east, and extent of white on the secondary feathers of the wing, which varies from none in temperate northern regions, to extensive white in tropical regions.<ref name=Ogilvie2003/><ref name="Mlíkovský">{{cite journal |last1=Mlíkovský |first1=J. |title=Systematic notes on Asian birds: 74. A preliminary review of the grebes, Family Podicipedidae |journal=British Ornithologists' Club Occasional Publication |date=2010 |volume=5 |pages=125–131 |url=https://www.zlibrary.to/dl/systematic-notes-on-asian-birds-2010-exploring-the-taxonomy-and-nomenclature-of-the-birds-of-a-broadly-defined-oriental-realm-numbers-68-77-a-continuation-of-the-leiden-series |access-date=4 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=IOC/>

{| class="wikitable "
|-
! Summer !! Winter !! Scientific name !! Distribution !! Notes
|-
|[[File:Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Parc de Woluwé, Brussels (14748388013).jpg|120px]]<br>Brussels, Belgium || [[File:Grèbe castagneux Lac de Tunis.jpg|120px]]<br>Lac de Tunis, Tunisia || ''T. r. ruficollis'' <small>[[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1764</small> || [[Nominate subspecies#Nominotypical subspecies and subspecies autonyms|nominate]], [[Europe]] to western [[Asia]], south to northern Africa; northeast European birds migratory, others resident. || Eye dark brown; secondaries with no or minimal white.
|-
|[[File:Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Breeding by Dr. Raju Kasambe DSCN6305 (6).jpg|120px]]<br>Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India || [[File:Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Coimbatore DSCN2958.jpg|120px]]<br>Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India || ''T. r. albescens'' <small>([[William Thomas Blanford|Blanford]], 1877)</small> || Southern and central Asia from [[Turkmenistan]] to southern [[Kazakhstan]], south to [[Sri Lanka]], and east through [[Pakistan]], [[India]], [[Nepal]], [[Bhutan]] and [[Bangladesh]] to [[Myanmar]]; central Asian birds migratory, south Asian birds resident. || Eye orange to yellow; bill short; secondaries with extensive white.
|-
|[[File:Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis, Al Jahra Governorate, Kuwait 1.jpg|120px]]<br>Al Jahra, Kuwait || [[File:Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 120.jpg|120px]]<br>Kuwait || ''T. r. iraquensis'' <small>([[Claud B. Ticehurst|Ticehurst]], 1923)</small> || [[Tigris–Euphrates river system]] in southeastern Iraq, southwestern Iran, and Kuwait; resident. || Eye dark brown; bill short; secondaries with extensive white.
|-
|[[File:Little Grebe (or Dabchick), Tachbaptus ruficollis, at Marievale Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa - breeding plumage (21384311706).jpg|120px]]<br>Marievale, Gauteng, South Africa || [[File:Tachybaptus ruficollis at Marievale, Gauteng, South Africa - non-breeding plumage (21222514200).jpg|120px]]<br>Marievale, Gauteng, South Africa || ''T. r. capensis'' <small>([[Tommaso Salvadori|Salvadori]], 1884)</small> || Sub-Saharan [[Africa]], [[Madagascar]], [[Comoros]]. || Eye reddish brown; secondaries with extensive white.
|-
|[[File:Little grebe in Sakai, Osaka, February 2016.jpg|120px]]<br>Sakai, Osaka, Japan || [[File:Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei (winter plumage) s2.jpg|120px]]<br>Kihoku, Mie Prefecture, Japan || ''T. r. poggei'' <small>([[Anton Reichenow|Reichenow]], 1902)</small> || Eastern Asia, in [[China]], [[Korea]], [[Taiwan]], [[Japan]], and the south [[Kuril Islands]]. || Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with no or minimal white.
|-
| ||  || ''T. r. philippensis'' <small>([[Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre|Bonnaterre]], 1790)</small> || Northern [[Philippines]] ([[Luzon]] and nearby islands), [[Borneo]]. || Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with white.
|-
| ||  || ''T. r. cotabato'' <small>([[Austin L. Rand|Rand]], 1948)</small> || Southern Philippines ([[Mindanao]]). || Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with white.
|-
|}

==Description==
The little grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour 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 as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black in adulthood.

In winter, its size, buff [[Feather|plumage]], with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The little grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a [[Trill (music)|trill]]ed repeated ''weet-weet-weet'' or ''wee-wee-wee'' which sounds like a [[horse]] whinnying.

==Distribution==
This bird breeds in small colonies in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe, much of [[Asia]] down to [[New Guinea]], and most of [[Africa]]. Most birds move to more open or coastal waters in winter, but it is only [[bird migration|migratory]] in those parts of its range where the waters freeze. Outside of breeding season, it moves into more open water, occasionally even appearing on the coast in small bays.<ref name=IUCN/>

==Behaviour==
The little grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver and pursues its [[fish]] and aquatic [[invertebrate]] prey underwater. It uses the vegetation skilfully as a hiding place.

Like all grebes, it nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually four to seven [[Egg (biology)|egg]]s are laid. When the adult bird leaves the nest it usually takes care to cover the eggs with weeds. This makes it less likely to be detected by predators.<ref name=Prokop2011/> The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults.<ref name=Finn1905/> In [[India]], the species breeds during the rainy season.<ref name=Dalgliesh1906/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Zampullín corriendo sobre el agua - little grebe running on the water.jpg|''T. r. ruficollis'' in Spain; no white in the wing
File:カイツブリ, Little grebe ー 東京港野鳥公園.jpg|''T. r. poggei'' in Japan; no white in the wing
Little Grebe by Tisha Mukherjee 27.jpg|''T. r. albescens'' in India; extensive white in the wing
File:LittleGrebe DSC0240.jpg|Nest at edge of lake in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
File:Non breeding Little Grebe.jpg|Grebe displaying its webbed feet
File:Tachybaptus ruficollis-diving.jpg|Diving at [[w:es:Delta del Llobregat|Delta del Llobregat]], [[w:es:Barcelona|Barcelona]]
File:Zampullín chico, polluelo Tachybaptus ruficollis.jpg|Chick
File:Tachybaptus ruficollis MWNH 1919.JPG|Eggs, Collection [[Museum Wiesbaden]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Dalgliesh1906>{{cite journal |url=https://archive.org/stream/aviculturalm519061907avic#page/n97/mode/2up |title=Notes on the Indian Podicipedidae |last=Dalgliesh |first=Gordon |pages=65–72 |year=1906 |journal=The Avicultural Magazine |volume=5 |issue=2}}</ref>
<ref name=Finn1905>{{cite journal |last=Finn |first=Frank |title=Notes on the nesting of the Indian Dabchick |pages=10–17 |journal=Bird Notes |volume=4 |year=1905 |url=https://archive.org/stream/birdnotes05fore#page/n17/mode/2up}}</ref>
<ref name=IOC>{{cite web |editor1-last=Gill |editor1-first=F. |editor2-last=Donsker |editor2-first=D. |editor3-last=Rasmussen |editor3-first=Pamela |name-list-style=amp |year=2024 |title=Grebes, flamingos |website=IOC World Bird List (v 14.2) |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/grebes/ |doi=10.14344/IOC.ML.11.1 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name=Ogilvie2003>{{cite book |title=Grebes of the World |last1=Ogilvie |first1=Malcolm |first2=Chris |last2=Rose |publisher=Bruce Coleman |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-872842-03-5}}</ref>
<ref name=Prokop2011>{{cite journal |title=Why do grebes cover their nests? Laboratory and field tests of two alternative hypotheses |last1=Prokop |first1=Pavel |first2=Alfréd |last2=Trnka |year=2011 |journal=Journal of Ethology |volume=29 |pages=17–22 |doi=10.1007/s10164-010-0214-4 |s2cid=24531647 |url=http://www.zoo.sav.sk/prokop/articles/Prokop-Trnka-JEthol-2011.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414203105/http://www.zoo.sav.sk/prokop/articles/Prokop-Trnka-JEthol-2011.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-14 }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tachybaptus ruficollis}}
{{Wikispecies|Tachybaptus ruficollis}}
*{{ cite web | last1=Blasco-Zumeta | first1=Javier | last2=Heinze | first2=Gerd-Michael | work=Identification Atlas of Aragon's Birds | title=Little grebe | url=http://blascozumeta.com/wp-content/uploads/aragon-birds/non-passeriformes/005.littlegrebe-truficollis.pdf }}
* [http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob70.htm BTO BirdFacts - Little Grebe]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725081549/http://www.lynxeds.com/product/grebes-our-world Grebes of the World] by André Konter
* [http://www.acopiancenter.am/boa.asp?id=25&name=BirdsofArmenia-LittleGrebe Information and Illustration on Little Grebe from A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia]
* {{BirdLife|22696545|Tachybaptus ruficollis}}
* {{Avibase|name=Tachybaptus ruficollis}}
* {{InternetBirdCollection|little-grebe-tachybaptus-ruficollis}}
* {{VIREO|Little+Grebe}}
* {{Xeno-canto species|Tachybaptus|ruficollis|Little grebe}}

{{Grebes}}
{{portalbar|Birds|Animals|Biology}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q25421}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tachybaptus|little grebe]]
[[Category:Birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds of Eurasia]]
[[Category:Birds of Japan]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1764|little grebe]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas]]
[[Category:Birds of Nepal]]