Little Grebe

Latin Name: 
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Category: 
Size: 
22cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. India’s smallest waterbird, squat and tailless. Plumage silky and compact; dark brown above; white in-flight feathers; white abdomen. Breeding: chestnut sides of head, neck and throat; black chin; blackish-brown crown and hind-neck. Winter: white chin; brown crown and hind-neck; rufous neck. Purely  aquatic; seen singly or in small, scattered groups, often diving and swimming beneath the surface.

Habitat: 
village tanks, deep jheels, lakes, reservoirs.
Food: 
aquatic insects, frogs, crustaceans
Distribution: 
subcontinent, up to 2,000m in Kashmir. Resident in most areas.
Call: 
Call Description: 
shrill trilling notes and an occasional click.
National Status: