Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

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Brief #

Upper parts coloured black to blackish brown, flanks are coloured tawny rufous, eye is mostly red.

Synonyms #

  • Zampullín cuellinegro (Spanish)
  • Mergullón de pescozo negro (Galician)

Red List Status #

The Black-necked Grebe is unlikely to become extinct in the near future.
Find out more about IUCN's Red List program here

Description #

Breeding plumage has the head, neck, breast, and upper parts coloured black to blackish brown, with the exception of the ochre-coloured fan of feathers extending behind the eye over the eye-coverts and sides of the nape. This eye is mostly red, with a narrow and paler yellow ring on the inner parts of the eye and an orange-yellow to pinkish-red orbital ring. The flanks are coloured tawny rufous to maroon-chestnut and have the occasional blackish fleck. The underwing and abdomen is white, with an exception to the former being the dark tertials and the mostly pale grey-brown outer primaries. The legs are a dark greenish grey. The sexes are similar.

Measurements #

Length: 28 - 34 cm
Wingspan: 20 - 22 cm
Weight: 265 - 450 g

Similar species #