The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Taxonomy

There are three subspecies:^[1]

• P. n. nigricollis is found from western Europe to western Asia (wintering to the south and west), in central and eastern Asia, and in eastern Africa
• P. n. gurneyi is found in southern Africa
• P. n. californicus is found from southwestern Canada through the western U.S. It winters as far south as Guatemala.

The two common names for this species both refer to features visible when the bird is in its breeding plumage; in such plumage, it has an all-black neck and a spray of golden plumes on each side of its head. The name "Eared Grebe" was in usage nearly a century before the name "Black-necked Grebe". The latter was first used in 1912 by Ernst Hartert, in an effort to bring the common name of the species in line with its scientific name.^[2] The genus name of this species?Podiceps?comes from two Latin words: podicis, meaning "vent" or "anus" and pes meaning "foot".^[3] This is a reference to the attachment point of the bird's legs?at the extreme back end of its body. The specific epithet nigricollis is Latin for "black-necked": niger means "black" and collis means "neck".

Description and range

P. n. nigricollis, non-breeding plumage

In courtship the male gives a mellow poo-ee-chk call to the female.

This species breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe, Asia, Africa, northern South America and the southwest and western United States. The North American subspecies, P. n. californicus is known as the Eared Grebe (or "eared diver"). These birds migrate in winter, mostly to the Pacific Coast where they range south to El Salvador on a regular basis; vagrants may occur as far as Costa Rica.^[4]

Black-necked Grebes of the nominate subspecies P. n. nigricollis in the cooler temperate regions of the Old World also winter further south, with many European birds moving to the Mediterranean area. The isolated southern African race, P. n. gurneyi is sedentary. It was named by South African ornithologist and author Austin Roberts in honour of the English bankers and amateur ornithologists John Henry Gurney and John Henry Gurney Jr..

<gallery> image:Eared Grebe.jpg|Eared Grebe in non-breeding plumage Image:Horned Grebe.jpg|The similar Horned Grebe in non-breeding plumage for comparison
</gallery>

Behaviour

The Black-necked Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its prey underwater, eating mostly fish as well as aquatic insects and larvae. It prefers to escape danger by diving rather than flying, although it can easily rise from the water.

Like all grebes, the Black-necked Grebe nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually two eggs are laid, and the striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back.

Footnotes

1. ↑
2. ↑
3. ↑
4. ↑ Herrera et al. (2006)

References

• Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• (2006): Nuevos registros para la avifauna de El Salvador. ["New records for the avifauna of El Salvador"]. Boletín de la Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología 16(2): 1-19. [Spanish with English abstract] PDF fulltext

External links

• BTO BirdFacts - Black-necked Grebe
• Eared Grebe - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Eared Grebe - eNature.com
• Eared Grebe Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds
• Eared Grebe - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

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