Silvery grebe
| Silvery grebe | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Southern silvery grebe (top), Northern silvery grebe (bottom) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Podicipediformes |
| Family: | Podicipedidae |
| Genus: | Podiceps |
| Species: | P. occipitalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Podiceps occipitalis Garnot, 1826
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| Range of southern silvery grebe (not including northern silvery grebe, see text) | |
The silvery grebe (Podiceps occipitalis) is a species of
Taxonomy and subspecies
There are two subspecies, although some authorities such as the
- Northern silvery grebe, P. o. juninensis, (
- Southern silvery grebe, P. o. occipitalis, (Garnot, 1826) – at altitudes up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in central & southern parts of Chile and Argentina, and in the Falkland Islands. Partially migratory, with wintering range as far north as southern Brazil, southern Bolivia and Paraguay.[1]
Description
The silvery grebe is about 28 cm (11 in) in length. There are two different subspecies which differ in the colouring on their head and facial plumes. In the southern form, the ear plumes are yellowish and the side of the head and throat are grey. In the northern form, the ear plumes are grey and the side of the head and throat are white. Both have a crown that is black and the neck, chest and belly are white while the back is dark grey and the sides and flanks blackish. The beak and feet are black and the eye red. The northern form in particular is similar in appearance to the rare and highly localized Junin grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii), and their ranges overlap.[3][4]
Distribution and habitat
The silvery grebe nests in Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Chile, and the western parts of Bolivia,
Biology
The silvery grebe is found in small groups and feeds on aquatic invertebrates which it catches while diving under the water.
The silvery grebe tends to breed in colonies on lakes. The nest is often composed of floating mats of vegetation.[4] Nesting has been recorded in February in Colombia and between September and March in Peru with most eggs being laid between November and January.[5]
Status
The IUCN recognizes the southern and the northern silvery grebes as separate species, with the former being considered
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ . Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Blanquillo: Podiceps occipitalis occipitalis". Aves de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2014-06-30.
- ^ a b c d "Podiceps occipitalis". Neotropical Birds Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
- ^ a b Llimona, F.; del Hoyo, J.; Jutglar, F.; Garcia, E.F.J.; Kirwan, G.M. "Silvery Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Retrieved 2014-07-02.