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Australasian GrebeAlternate name(s): "Little Grebe", "Black-throated Grebe", "Red-necked Grebe", "Dabchick*", "White-bellied Diver" ![]() Size: 23-25 cm Weight: 170-270 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Race "novaehollandiae"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
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BREEDING |
Close-up frontal view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Glen Iris wetlands, Melbourne, VIC, May 2013]
Close-up near-lateral view of an Australasian Grebe
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, August 2015]
Close-up near-lateral view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, May 2013]
Close-up lateral view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Whites Hill Reserve, Brisbane, QLD, February 2019]
Close-up lateral view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2014]
Lateral view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2010]
Lateral view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa, QLD, July 2017]
Near-dorsal view of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sherwood Arboretum, Brisbane, QLD, June 2017]
Australasian Grebe preening
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]
Australasian Grebe, behind, with a juvenile bird, in front
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2009]
Group photo of several species of water birds - a pair of
Australian Wood
Ducks (centre), Grey
Teals (left and right) and Australasian Grebes (the two smaller
birds)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2007]
Group photo of several species of water birds - a pair of
Australian Wood Ducks
(far left), a family of Grey
Teals (centre) and a pair of Australasian Grebes (front)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2007]
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NON-BREEDING |
Frontal view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe
Frontal view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe after a dive
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2012]
Frontal view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe flapping
its wings (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2016]
Close-up lateral view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Lateral view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
Lateral view of a non-breeding Australasian Grebe
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
The same Australasian Grebe as above, diving head first
Lateral view of two Austalasian Grebes in non-breeding
plumage
in comparison with a
Great Crested Grebe
in breeding
plumage
[Old Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, November 2019]
Something one does not often get to see - Australasian Grebe in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Grebe
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
Lateral view of two juvenile Australasian Grebes
[Near Maules Creek, NSW, March 2009]
Near-dorsal view of an Australasian Grebe chick on a small farm
dam
[Near Edgeroi, NSW, December 2016]
Here a precocial Australasian Grebe chick seen with one of its parents
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2012]
Near-lateral view of an Australian Grebe with its chicks riding "piggy back"
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[20 km West of Gilgandra, NSW, October 2020]
Near-lateral view of an Australian Grebe with its chicks riding "piggy back"
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[20 km West of Gilgandra, NSW, October 2020]
In January 2021, after exceptionally good rainfall in the area,
we found this single family of Australasian Grebes on an old farm
dam with 6
chicks out of one clutch, PLUS 3 unhatched eggs left in the nest
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2021]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Oct - Jan | Eggs: 4 - 5 | Incubation period: 21 - 24 days | Fledging age: 42 - 49 days |
The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical north Australasian Grebes breed Dec - Apr. Also in other areas the breeding season may extend into autumn. At Eulah Creek a pair was observed raising three chicks that hatched in March 2013.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "malunna" = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Aquatic plants | Height above ground: N/A |
Nests usually are floating platforms on water surface, anchored to reeds.
Australasian Grebe building its nest in the middle of a small pond
Australasian Grebe on its nest
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Botanic Gardens, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2017]
Quick-quick-quick, cover the eggs, there's somebody coming!
Australasian Grebe leaving its nest in a hurry
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2017]
Australasian Grebe nest with the eggs covered
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2017]
Australasian Grebe nest on a small farm dam when it was full for the
first time in 10 years; note how the nest has a flat top - the
reeds are covering eggs
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2011]
The same Australasian Grebe nest about 2 weeks later; now it has the
form of a crater, because the eggs have hatched...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2012]
... and this little Australasian Grebe chick has emerged
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2012]
This is not a nest yet, but a base upon which a nest can later
be built
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 36 x 25 mm | Colour: Light-brown to dark-brown | Shape: Tapered oval |
Due to their absorbent surface, eggs darken significantly during incubation.
In January 2021, after exceptionally good rainfall in the area,
we found a single family of Australasian Grebes on an old farm
dam with 6
chicks out of one clutch, PLUS these 3 unhatched eggs left
in the nest
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2021]
3 eggs in a very low-lying Australasian Grebe nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2019]
By lifting the "lid" of an Australasian Grebe nest one can see the
eggs, here a clutch of 4 (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Near Baradine, NSW, 1980ies]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
Courtship display of an Australasian Grebe in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, October 2017]
Even on small water surfaces with basically no cover Australasian Grebes can be very hard to spot.
Australasian Grebe watching the birdwatcher (click on image
for wider overview)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Outside the breeding season Australasian Grebes can be observed in large groups.
Part of a group of about 100 Australasian Grebes in breeding, non-breeding
and immature plumages
[Split Rock Dam, NSW, May 2013]
Australasian Grebes can re-surface after a dive with only the head
showing above water - this way they are very hard to spot when caught
out on open water without vegetation for protective cover
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]
Watching these Australasian Grebes one could get the impression that
the adult bird was teaching the chicks how to dive
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2011]
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Food, Diet |
Australasian Grebes usually dive to catch their prey, such as small aquatic creatures including crustaceans, up to several metres under water. We have also seen them take insects at the water surface.
This Australasian Grebe has caught a fair-sized fish
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2012]
Australasian Grebe chasing Gerridae water bugs; it was observed not
skimming the water surface, but snapping at individual insects at speed
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, June 2015]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
ausgrebe_20200120.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Contact call? Q&A (+ Grey Shrike-thrush) |
© MD | |
ausgrebe_20200120.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Territorial call? | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20200120_3.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Territorial call? | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20190929.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning call | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20140401.mp3 |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning call (pair Q&A) | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20161221.mp3 |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning calls | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20210110_2.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (parents + chicks) | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20210110_3.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (parents + chicks) | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20210110.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (chicks + parents) | © MD | |
ausgrebe_20200120_2.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
? | © MD |
More Australasian Grebe sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.