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Grebe Wales (1 Viewer)

James S

Member
Is this a red necked grebe? sorry for poor picture,taken in pouring rain,just after I dropped and lost shutter relise cable in the sea!
2 Grebes at Aber Dysnni,Tywyn.
 

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Hi James. Yes, this is a Red Necked Grebe. Not a Little Grebe, due to large bill and general structure being wrong for Little. It is facing the camera slightly, making it appear smaller, but the head is clearly rather large.

Jason
 
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I see a little grebe here, but would like to see more photos if there are any as we know they can be misleading. Reasons for little - clear cap with buff cheeks, RN should have a more blurred demarcation with cheek smudgings, the bill is all pale, RN should have a distinct yellow base contrasting with the rest.
 
I'm sticking by RN Grebe. although 5 against 1 aint good! Have you got anymore pics James? You must have thought these were RNG for some reason?!

Heres a pic of a Red necked grebe for comparrison. Note head structure, which matches the bird in question, IMO.
 

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Heres a pic of a Red necked grebe for comparrison. Note head structure, which matches the bird in question, IMO.

The Eurasian Dabchick has "no" neck. It has no yellow bill base. It has a thickish short bill. I cannot see any similarity!! They are not even in the same genus. Both are grebes I suppose....

a
 
How weird! Just shows that the two can indeed look similar! Never occurred to me before!

To support the Little grebe camp, to me the bird looks large-headed and small-bodied - a classic combination for small birds. The shortness and thickness of the bill, along with the colour, also rule out Red-necked in my opinion.

RNG has a long, triangular head shape, this has a bumpy look to it.

All scientific stuff, the way I identify birds.

Sean
 
Hi lewis20126. Chill out, yeah?

I think I may be reading too much into the angle here, and no-one else can see it, so I'll let it go.

I cant help wondering why the photographer questioned the birds in the field though. There almost impossible birds to confuse (unless its a funny angled pic of the bird sitting low in the water that is... :p)

Jason
 
I'm sticking by RN Grebe. although 5 against 1 aint good! Have you got anymore pics James? You must have thought these were RNG for some reason?!

Heres a pic of a Red necked grebe for comparrison. Note head structure, which matches the bird in question, IMO.

i agree you j ,it looks to heavy to be a little grebe:t:
 
Bugger, looks like your all stacking up against me! Well, I gotta go to work. I expect you all to have changed your tunes by the time I get back ;)

Jason

ps thanks Ian
 
I think it's a "hybrid Little × Red-necked Grebe", just like that "Pied-billed Grebe" in the Netherlands a month ago... I'm kidding (I'd bet on Little), but with such pictures, anything is possible apparently!
 
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