Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
NL: Fuut
D: Haubentaucher
F: Grèbe huppé
Latin name: Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Grebes
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. The great crested grebe is now the type species of the genus Podiceps that was erected by the English naturalist John Latham in 1787. The type locality is Sweden. 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 species name, cristatus, means “crested”.
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 59–73 cm (23–29 in) wingspan and weigh 0.9 to 1.5 kg (2.0 to 3.3 lb). It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations. In winter, this is whiter than most grebes, with white above the eye, and a pink bill.
The young are distinctive because their heads are striped black and white. They lose these markings when they become adults.
Zang/roep:
