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Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) Alternate name(s): "Crested Grebe", "Tippet Grebe", "Loon", "Gaunt"; Misnomer: "Carr Goose" Size: 46-51 cm; wing span 59-73 cm Weight: 0.6-1.5 kg

Oman: Family Group 2 Family Group 2 Table Mute Swan Egyptian Goose Mallard Cotton Pygmy-Goose Great Crested Grebe Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Great Crested Grebes are large grebes. Both sexes have the same plumage, but breeding and non-breeding plumages are different. The non-breeding plumage is rather plain, with a dark grey-brown back (cap, nape of neck, mantle, wings) and a whiteish-grey front (face, frontal neck, breast & belly). The crest is very small in the non-breeding season. During the breeding season the black crest is much more prominent, especially in combination with the black-edged, rufous-brown neck frill that Great Crested Grebes feature then. The eyes are red, the bill is yellow and pointed; in the breeding season it takes on a darker, orange hue. Juveniles have a bold stripe pattern on their heads and necks.

Taxonomy, classification See Great Crested Grebe at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Great Crested Grebe is available HERE . There are 3 extant races of Great Crested Grebes, which are a widely-distributed partly migratory, partly sedentary species. Nominate race "cristatus" is found in Europe, southern, central and eastern Asia; race "infuscatus" resides in southern Africa and race "australis" populates parts of Australia and New Zealand. Great Crested Grebes, nominate race "cristatus", are found as winter visitors in northern Arabia, including the northern coastal fringe of Oman. Great Crested Grebes have a strong preference for fresh water aquatic habitats, such as rivers and lakes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cristatus" We have not seen any Great Crested Grebes in Oman yet, but in the past we used to see Great Crested Grebes, nominate race "cristatus", infrequently in Germany, e.g. near Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, in July 1991. Race "australis" Great Crested Grebes, race "australis", are found by us semi-regularly in Australia.

Photos

No photos from Oman available yet. To go to the European page, click here.

Photos of race "australis" are available here.

crgrebe_jp_20200314.m4a	cristatus (Portugal)	Contact calls? Q&A	© JP
crgrebe_20200316.m4a	australis (NW NSW)	Contact calls? Q&A (+ White-plumed Honeyeater)	© MD
crgrebe_20161218.mp3	australis (NW NSW)	?	© MD
crgrebe_20161218_2.mp3	australis (NW NSW)	?	© MD

More Great Crested Grebe sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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