What am I?
I am a regularly spotted grebe.
I am a regularly spotted grebe.
I live on the Solent coast all year round.
I am a truly spectacular looking bird, I must say! I have beautiful head plumes and put on stunning courtship dances during the breeding season. I love diving for fish but sometimes I need to dive to escape predators too. Like other grebes, I’m a bit clumsy on land because my feet are positioned far back on my body.
We can be seen in lakes, rivers, and in the sea around the Solent coast.
My name might not be listed in the Solent’s Special Protection Areas but I am still definitely important for the coastal ecosystem and form part of the non-breeding waterbird assemblages which these regions are protected for.
The highlight of our courtship displays is the ‘weed dance’. Both my partner and I, dive down to collect weed in our bills and then rise up out of the water, face to face. It really is glorious!