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Great crested grebe

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Great crested grebe
in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Call of a great crested grebe recorded in Surrey, England
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Podiceps
Species:
P. cristatus
Binomial name
Podiceps cristatus
Range of P. cristatus
  Breeding
  Resident
  Non-breeding
Synonyms

Colymbus cristatus Linnaeus, 1758

The Great Crested Grebe, (Podiceps cristatus), is an aquatic bird known for its elaborate displays when courting and a nest that floats on the water's surface. It belongs to the family Podicipedidae and inhabits a wide range of freshwater habitats in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. Such complex courtship and nesting behaviours have stimulated research into ornithology making the Great Crested Grebe a model regarding avian reproduction, mate choice, and parental care.

Taxonomy

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The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Colymbus cristatus.[2] It is now the type species of the genus Podiceps that was erected by the English naturalist John Latham in 1787.[3][4][5] The type locality is Sweden.[6] The scientific name comes from Latin: the genus name Podiceps is from podicis, "vent" and pes, "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body; the specific name, cristatus, means "crested".[7]

Three subspecies are recognised:[4]

  • P. c. cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Eurasia
  • P. c. infuscatus Salvadori, 1884 – Africa
  • P. c. australis Gould, 1844 – Australia, Tasmania, South Island of New Zealand; known commonly as the Australasian crested grebe and, in the Māori language, pūteketeke

Description

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The great crested grebe is the largest member of the grebe family found in the Old World, with some larger species residing in the Americas. They measure 46–51 cm (18–20 in) long with a wingspan of up to 85 cm (33 in) and weigh 0.9 to 1.5 kg (2.0 to 3.3 lb).[8][9] Their slender bodies, with sharp bills and elongated necks, enable them to hunt fish efficiently, their staple diet. The most salient characteristic of the species is its elaborate breeding plumage: large black head crests and chestnut-coloured ruffs framing the face are developed by adults during the mating seasons and used prominently in courtship displays. In winter, outside of the breeding season, these crests and ruffs moult, leaving the grebe in a more subdued grey plumage with white above the eye, and a pink bill. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, although males are generally larger than females.

The call is a loud barking rah-rah-rah. They can also produce a clicking kek call and deep growls.[10]

Juveniles are recognisable by their plumage, with their heads featuring alternating black and white stripes. They lose these markings when they become adults.

Distribution

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The great crested grebe breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes. The subspecies P. c. cristatus is found across Europe and east across the Palearctic. It is resident in the milder west of its range but migrates from the colder regions. It winters on freshwater lakes and reservoirs or on the coast. The African subspecies P. c. infuscatus and the Australasian subspecies P. c. australis are mainly sedentary.

As food resources and nesting materials, all come from wetlands and bodies of water with abundant vegetation, these habitats are crucial for the species. More importantly, the hunting strategy of the Great Crested Grebe does require clear water since it is the sight when catching prey that plays a very important role.

The species was previously threatened by hunting in Europe, especially during the 19th century when their plumage used to be in fashion. Preservation efforts have been successful and this bird has become an emblem of effective wetland conservation in Europe.[11] The species has recovered over a substantial part of the area but the destruction of wetlands continues to threaten local populations over parts of the continent.[12]

Courtship Behaviour

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The Great Crested Grebe is well known for its complicated and highly synchronised courtship displays, crucial for proper pair bonding and successful mating. The complexity of such displays has been widely studied; it forms one of the main factors associated with reproductive success in grebes.[13] The various courtship rituals in grebes gradually increase in intensity and coordination throughout the breeding season.

Weed Dance

Weed Dance

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One of the most elaborate displays is the weed dance: the two grebes dive down to the bottom of the water and rise, each holding an aquatic plant, and offer vegetation to one another.[13][14] Standing upright on the surface of the water, facing one another, both birds shake their heads in synchrony. The weed dance is considered to be a sign of willingness by the two to collaborate in nesting and bringing up the young ones as the displays denote devotion between spouses.[15] The symmetry witnessed during the display, especially the concurrent presentation of weeds, suggests that the behaviour is supposed to be utilised by an individual as a possible strategy for assessing his or her spouse's health and coordination.[14]

Rushing Display

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The second well-known ritual is the rushing display: both birds run across the water's surface side by side, neck forward and crest up. The rushing display is energetically costly, providing evidence of a pair's overall physical fitness and strength. Not only does it serve to impress a potential mate, but it is also used to further strengthen the bonds between established pairs. Less successful displays of this type, where birds fail to maintain synchrony or fall behind, for instance, typically result in courtship termination, illustrating how much grebes may gain or lose through their courtship displays.[14]

Greeting Ceremony

Head-Shaking and Greeting Ceremonies

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At any time during the breeding season, Great Crested Grebes also display head-shaking. The birds face one another and violently jerk their heads from side to side. This is often repeated with much calling. These displays reinforce the pair bond and help maintain synchrony during the nesting cycle.[16] Greeting ceremonies are a reunion of one bird with the other, after some time two birds greet each other with either head-shaking or bill-touching displays to reinforce their bond.[15] These displays also continue to reinforce monogamous bonds between pairs during the frequently stressful incubation and chick-rearing stages.[17]

Nesting Behaviour

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The Great Crested Grebe is a floating nest builder, often in shallow water with a dense growth of aquatic plants around it. The nest provides protection against predators and variable water levels, as its floating nature allows it to rise and fall with the water itself. The construction and maintenance of the nest are cooperative between the two members of the pair, each bird gathering material and taking turns in defending the nest site.

Floating Nest

Nest Site Selection

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Their selection for the place of nesting is according to vegetation; vegetation offers shelter against large birds or smaller mammals. Aquatic plants, like reeds, are used to anchor the nest and provide shelter. Being close to shallow water allows for accessibility to fish for feeding the adults and chicks. However, nest abandonments can be forced when disturbances from human activity, as well as sudden drops or rises in water level, occur, and the pair has to relocate elsewhere.[16]

Nest Construction

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Eggs from the collection of the Museum Wiesbaden, Germany

The nests are floating, and the materials used are reeds, leaves, and other plant material intertwined into a rigid platform. Throughout the whole breeding season, both males and females regularly contribute to building and maintaining the nest. During incubation, birds will still add plant material to the nest in order to keep it afloat so the eggs do not become submerged.

Egg Laying & Incubation

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The clutch averages three to five chalky-white eggs which average 54 mm × 37 mm (2.1 in × 1.5 in) in size and 42 g (1.5 oz) in weight. Incubation is by both parents and begins as soon as the first egg is laid, when one is incubating the nest the other goes off to forage. During incubation, one bird covers the clutch with plant material in case of predators while they leave the nest.[15] The eggs hatch asynchronously after 27 to 29 days.

Parental Roles & Chick Rearing

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The chicks hatch precocial, meaning that at birth, their eyes are open and they are covered in downy feathers.[17] They can move, but most importantly, they are still dependent on being cared for and fed by both parents.[18]

Chick Carrying

Young grebes are capable of swimming and diving almost at hatching. One of the most iconic behaviours of grebe chick-rearing is that of chick-carrying where the adults teach these skills to their young by carrying them on their back and diving, leaving the chicks to float on the surface; they then re-emerge a few feet away so that the chicks may swim back onto them. This behaviour also protects the young against predator attacks while conserving the energy of the parents during foraging activities.

During these first weeks, parents provide the chicks with small fish that are caught and brought to them directly. This period of high parental investment is extended over several months as the chicks gradually achieve their independence with increasing age and skill development in diving and foraging over time.

Feeding

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The great crested grebe feeds mainly on fish, but also small on crustaceans, insects, small frogs and newts.[19]

Relationship to humans

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A great crested grebe head in the coat of arms of Kauvatsa, Finland

The Great Crested Grebe is an important species to help monitor wetland health because of its sensitivity, primarily due to changes in water clarity and vegetation cover.[12] Throughout the last few decades, particularly in Europe, this species has received protection through conservation efforts that have managed to both stabilize and grow the number of grebes. These have included habitat restoration, legal protections, and publicity campaigns to preserve wetlands.

However, local populations are still threatened by habitat degradation, pollution, and disturbance from human recreational activities.[12] Wetlands lost or degraded due to agriculture or developments severely limit further success for the species. Wetland restoration and conservation programs that regulate human activity in breeding areas will go long toward ensuring the continued health of grebe populations.[15]

This species was hunted almost to extinction in the United Kingdom in the 19th century for its head plumes, which were used to decorate ladies' hats and garments. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was set up to help protect this species, which is again a common sight.[20]

The great crested grebe and its behaviour was the subject of one of the landmark publications in avian ethology: Julian Huxley's 1914 paper on "The Courtship‐habits of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)".[21][22]

Conservation efforts have been taking place on New Zealand's Lake Wānaka since 2013.[23][24]

The bird gained international attention on 5 November 2023, after comedian John Oliver highlighted New Zealand's Bird of the Year campaign in a Last Week Tonight episode and declared himself the "campaign manager" for the bird, which is also known in New Zealand by its Māori name pūteketeke.[25][26] The bird was announced as the winner of the competition with the alliteration "Pūteketeke pandemonium prevails".[27]

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  • Juvenile with adult
    Juvenile with adult
  • Head of juvenile with characteristic stripes
    Head of juvenile with characteristic stripes
  • Adult ready to feed its young in Scotland
    Adult ready to feed its young in Scotland
  • Mating ritual, Otmoor, Oxfordshire
    Mating ritual, Otmoor, Oxfordshire
  • Male displaying during mating ritual, Otmoor, Oxfordshire
    Male displaying during mating ritual, Otmoor, Oxfordshire
  • Great crested grebe courtship display at Hyde Park, London
    Great crested grebe courtship display at Hyde Park, London
  • Podiceps cristatus with nest and eggs, Sweden 2013
    Podiceps cristatus with nest and eggs, Sweden 2013
  • Podiceps cristatus family at nest, Sweden 2013
    Podiceps cristatus family at nest, Sweden 2013
  • Podiceps cristatus, Sweden 2015
    Podiceps cristatus, Sweden 2015
  • Museum specimen
    Museum specimen

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2019). "Podiceps cristatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22696602A154250080. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22696602A154250080.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 135.
  3. ^ Latham, John (1787). Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds. London: Leigh & Sotheby. p. 294.
  4. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2021). "Grebes, flamingos". IOC World Bird List Version 11.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  5. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 148.
  6. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 151.
  7. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 122, 341. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. ^ "Great crested grebe videos, photos and facts – Podiceps cristatus". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2012-08-23. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  9. ^ Burnie, D.; Wilson, D.E., eds. (2005). Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult. ISBN 0789477645.
  10. ^ "Great-crested Grebe". Oiseaux-birds.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  11. ^ Collar, Nigel J.; Crosby, M. J.; Stattersfield, Alison J. (1994). Birds to watch 2: the world list of threatened birds; the official source for birds on the IUCN red list. BirdLife conservation series. Cambridge: BirdLife International. ISBN 978-0-946888-30-6.
  12. ^ a b c Ogden, J. (2002). Population dynamics of the great crested grebe: Conservation and recovery. Bird Conservation International.
  13. ^ a b Simmons, K. E. L. (1974). The behavior of grebes. Transactions of the Linnaean Society of New York.
  14. ^ a b c Davies, N. B., Hatchwell, B. J., & Robson, T. (1988). Courtship display and mate selection in the great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus. Animal Behaviour.
  15. ^ a b c d Fjeldså, Jon (2004). The Grebes (Podicipedidae). Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press.
  16. ^ a b Cramp, S.; Simmons, K. E. L. (1977). The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 1. pp. 714. Oxford: OUP.
  17. ^ a b Snow, D., & Perrins, C. M. (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition (Vol. 2). Oxford University Press.
  18. ^ Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1977). "Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe". Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. I: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 78–89. ISBN 978-0-19-857358-6.
  19. ^ Cramp 1977, p. 82.
  20. ^ Cocker, Mark; Mabey, Richard (2005). Birds Britannica. London: Chatto & Windus. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-0-7011-6907-7.
  21. ^ Burkhardt Jr, R.W. (1992). "Huxley and the Rise of Ethology". Julian Huxley: Biologist and Statesman of Science. Houston, Texas: Rice University Press. pp. 127–149.
  22. ^ Huxley, J. S. (1914). "The courtship-habits of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus); with an addition to the theory of sexual selection". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 84 (3): 491–562. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1914.tb07052.x.
  23. ^ "Bird of the Century: What you need to know about pūteketeke". RNZ. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  24. ^ "Lake Wanaka grebes thrive with a bit of help". Department of Conservation. New Zealand Government. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  25. ^ Solomon, Serena (2023-11-07). "John Oliver backs 'weird, puking' pūteketeke as he takes New Zealand's bird of century poll global". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  26. ^ "Pūteketeke wins Bird of the Century following John Oliver intervention". The New Zealand Herald. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Bird of the Century winner announced: Pūteketeke pandemonium prevails". Forest & Bird. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-14.

Sources

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Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1977). "Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe". Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. I: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 78–89. ISBN 978-0-19-857358-6.

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