grebe

The great crested grebe is easily recognized by its long slender neck and daggerlike bill. It has a wide range: Europe, Asia, Africa south of the Sahara, Australia, and New Zealand. Its diet consists largely of fish, caught by diving beneath the surface of the lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal waters where it lives.

Any of a group of 19 species of water birds. The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is the largest of the Old World grebes. It feeds on fish, and lives on ponds and marshes in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. It grows to 50 cm/20 in long and has a white breast, with chestnut and black feathers on its back and head. Dark ear tufts and a prominent collar or crest of feathers around the base of the head appear during the breeding season; these are lost in winter. (Family Podicipedidae, order Podicipediformes.)

Grebes have broad, flat feet, and the toes are partially webbed, the legs being set extremely far back on the body. The wings are short and rounded, there is practically no tail, and flight is low. Both sexes are similar in appearance.