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Difference between revisions of "Hoary-headed Grebe" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:Hoary-headed_Grebe.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Tom Tarrant]]
 
[[Image:Hoary-headed_Grebe.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Tom Tarrant]]
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
Adult breeding: brownish-grey above and whitish below with grey upper breast and brownish-grey flanks. Forehead grey-brown darkening towards black hindcrown and nape with whitish streaks over head and cheeks giving a hoary appearance, chin black. Iris usually pale yellowish-white, bill black with white tip, legs olive-green. Adult non-breeding: generally duller and greyer, streaking on head much reduced but dark cap retained. Juvenile: as non-breeding adult but with indistinctly striped face. Flight: broad white trailing edge to secondaries on upperwing which continues across most of the primaries. Length 29-31cm.
+
L. 29-31cm
 +
====Adult Breeding====
 +
*Brownish-grey above
 +
*Whitish below
 +
*Grey upper breast
 +
*Brownish-grey flanks
 +
*Grey-brown forehead darkening towards black hindcrown and nape
 +
*Whitish streaks over head and cheeks give hoary appearance
 +
*Black chin
 +
*Usually pale yellowish-white iris
 +
*Black bill with white tip
 +
*Olive-green legs
 +
 
 +
====Adult Non-breeding====
 +
G-enerally duller and greyer, streaking on head much reduced but dark cap retained
 +
====Juvenile====
 +
Similar to non-breeding adult but with indistinctly striped face.  
 +
===Flight===
 +
Broad white trailing edge to secondaries on upperwing which continues across most of the primaries.  
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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Lakes, reservoirs and large swamps.
 
Lakes, reservoirs and large swamps.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
 +
====Breeding====
 
Breeds November-January or after rains. Nest is a floating heap of vegetation Eggs: 3-6, greenish-white to pale blue initially.
 
Breeds November-January or after rains. Nest is a floating heap of vegetation Eggs: 3-6, greenish-white to pale blue initially.
 
+
====Diet====
Diet includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates.
+
Includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates.
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Hoary-headed+Grebe}}
 
{{GSearch|Hoary-headed+Grebe}}

Revision as of 15:11, 29 January 2008

Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Photo by Tom Tarrant

Identification

L. 29-31cm

Adult Breeding

  • Brownish-grey above
  • Whitish below
  • Grey upper breast
  • Brownish-grey flanks
  • Grey-brown forehead darkening towards black hindcrown and nape
  • Whitish streaks over head and cheeks give hoary appearance
  • Black chin
  • Usually pale yellowish-white iris
  • Black bill with white tip
  • Olive-green legs

Adult Non-breeding

G-enerally duller and greyer, streaking on head much reduced but dark cap retained

Juvenile

Similar to non-breeding adult but with indistinctly striped face.

Flight

Broad white trailing edge to secondaries on upperwing which continues across most of the primaries.

Distribution

Southern half of Australia and Tasmania.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Lakes, reservoirs and large swamps.

Behaviour

Breeding

Breeds November-January or after rains. Nest is a floating heap of vegetation Eggs: 3-6, greenish-white to pale blue initially.

Diet

Includes small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

External Links

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