top of page

Collection  >  Order (Birds)  >  Order Information (Podicipediformes)

Podicipediformes

Podicipediformes, from Latin pōdex (“anus, butt”), Latin pēs (“feet”) and Latin -fōrmis (“-shaped”), means “rear-ended feet”, in reference to the fact that these animals feet are set further back than in most birds.

Grebes

Photos

DISTRIBUTION

Almost worldwide expect from the Arctic, Antarctic, some oceanic islands

SIZE

Their sizes range from 20 g and 23.5 cm to 1.7 kg and 71 cm, making them small to medium-large.

MORPHOLOGY

Their feet are huge, with tiny webs joining the first three toes and wide lobes on the toes. There is a tiny lobe on the hind toe as well. The claws are flat and resemble nails. The femur and tarsometatarsus, the leg bones, are situated far back on the body and have comparable lengths. Depending on the species, wings can be anywhere from quite long to exceedingly small and rounded. Strong curls and extreme density characterize the feathers. Feathers of smaller species are longer but less thick than those in larger species, which have shorter but denser feathers.

ECOLOGY & HABITAT

Many species of grebes inhabit watery settings such as lakes and marshes. However, the North Hemisphere ones will relocate to coastal maritime habitats as winter approaches.

DIET

While smaller species tend to be short and robust and like to catch small aquatic invertebrates, larger species have spear-like bills that allow them to grab fish in the mid-depths.

REPRODUCTION

Seasonally monogamous, their intricate courtship displays are what make them most famous. A duet is performed by most species, and many of them have synchronized rituals of their own. Following the completion of these courtship rites, the couple mount on vegetation-covered platforms and request copulation. Incubation can take up to a month, and females can deposit two to seven eggs. The nest's chicks hatch at different times. The chicks start to climb on one of their parents' backs as soon as the entire nest hatches. Unlike other waterfowl, the time spent caring for their young is longer when both parents are involved. The chicks have a higher chance of surviving as a result. While the other parent stays above the surface to supervise the young, one parent dives for food.

REFERENCES

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the World Series. Lynx Edicions.

Lovette, I. J., Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

Total species known

22

Species in the collection

2

Species in Hong Kong

4

bottom of page