Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei)

This individual was in full breeding plumage. Birds in eastern Asia including Japan are the race T. r. poggei which have distinctive pale lemon yellow eyes as seen here. Other subspecies have dark reddish or red-brown eyes. This smallest Eurasian grebe is sometimes called the Dabchick. This species is sometimes divided into two groups with darker-bellied birds in New Guinea and surrounding islands called "Tricolored Grebe."