Little Grebe
Scientific Name: Tachybaptus ruficollisMaltese Name: Blongun Zghir
Family: Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Occurence: Scarce Winter Visitor
Breeds in Malta: Yes
Breeding Frequency: Rare & Localised
Overview:
The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds.
Little Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish and aquatic invertebrate prey underwater. It uses the vegetation skillfully as a hiding place. Like all grebes, it nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually four to seven eggs are laid, and the striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back. The Little Grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated call.
Status and Distribution:
The Little Grebe is the only species from the grebe family that breeds in Malta, but on the other hand, it is the rarest one in migration as, apart from the breeding birds at Simar Nature Reserve, very few more are recorded.
As mentioned above, the Little Grebe is a very rare breeding bird in Malta as it breeds only in Simar Nature Reserve. Simar Nature Reserve is the only suitable environment in Malta where a Little Grebe can breed undisturbed. Little Grebe bred for the first time in Malta in 2006, when on February 10th a nest was discovered and soon after that 2 chicks were seen.
When to See:
At Simar Nature Reserve Little Grebes, are present all year but best time to see is in Winter.
Where to See:
Simar and Ghadira Nature Reserves
Photographs:
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Adult (summer plumage) Little Grebe, Simar Nature Reserve |
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| Adult (summer plumage) Little Grebe, Simar Nature Reserve | Little Grebe Nest with 3 eggs, Simar Nature Reserve, December 2008 |
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| Adult (winter plumage) Little Grebe, Simar Nature Reserve | Little Grebe chick, Simar Nature Reserve, 26th April 2008 |
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2 Little Grebe chicks in nest, Simar Nature Reserve, 10th February 2006 |
Listen to Little Grebe:
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