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Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis [Pallas, 1764]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Podicipediformes
Family:
Podicipedidae
BTO Codes:
LG, LITGR
EURING No:
70
Number in Britain:
7500 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
Links to: Images
Videos
Sound
Status in UK:
(A) Migrant/Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
ruficollis recorded in Britain (of 8 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
27 cm
Wingspan:
42 cm
Weight:
M/F: 140 g
Scientific name from:
Gr.: takhos =fast +bapto =to sink under
and L.: rufus =reddish + collus =neck
World Distribution:
Eurasia (except far north) south to Malaysia, New Guinea and sub-Saharan Africa (Mauritania to s Sudan)
Habitat:
Marshes, ponds & lakes
Diet:
Mostly, insects, molluscs, tadpoles and small fish at depths to 1m
TitBit:
The commonly used 'dabchick' is the only bird name to have the first three letters of the alphabet occurring consecutively, though Shakespeare preferred 'dive-dapper', notably in Venus and Adonis
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Regional Trends:
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
5000 to 10 thousand pairs
in 1988-91
Note: Best estimate
Winter:
7700 individuals
in 1994-99
Note: Best estimate
First Record:
10th Century
Conservation Status:
AMBER
because
Recent Breeding Population Decline,
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
GREEN
1996-2001
GREEN
Races of Concern:
ruficollis AMBER (Recent Decline)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Most frequent in:
Lakes
Also common in:
Ponds
And found in:
Estuaries
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
Summer:
97 to 164 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
Bern(II)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
38 x 26 mm
Egg Weight:
13.7 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
75
Clutch Size:
4 - 6 eggs
Incubation:
20- 21 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
44 - 48days
as:
Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
2(3)
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
28
Adult Survival:
No data
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
1
year
Typical Lifespan:
No data
Maximum Recorded Age:
6yr 0m
(Switzerland: 13yr 6m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
Ee or Foe
Wing Length
Adult:
104.1 ± 2.9
Range
99 - 108 mm, N =55
Juvenile:
102.9 ± 4.1
97 - 108 mm, N =59
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
224.9 ± 39.25
Range
167.0 - 284.0 g , N =51
Juvenile:
209.4 ± 48.85
119.0 - 276.0 g , N =56
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Dabchick
Gaelic:
Gobhachan-allt
Welsh:
Gwyach Fach
Danish:
Lille lappedykker
Dutch:
Dodaars
Finnish:
Pikku-uikku
French:
Grčbe castagneux
German:
Zwergtaucher
Hungarian:
Kis vöcsök
Icelandic:
Dverggođi
Irish:
Spágaire Tonn
Italian:
Tuffetto
Norwegian:
Dvergdykker
Polish:
Perkozek zwyczajny
Portuguese:
Mergulhăo-pequeno
Spanish:
Zampullín chico
Swedish:
Smĺdopping
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Ogilvie, M. 2003 Grebes of the world Bruce Coleman Books, Uxbridge
[598.43 OGI]
Fjeldsa, J. 2005 The Grebes Oxford University Press
[598.43 FJE]
See Also:
BirdFacts home | BTO Home birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as:
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