Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Shag (Gulosus aristotelis)
Small, dark grebe with bright yellow gape, short neck and bill. Winter plumage paler than summer, with chestnut flanks, neck and cheeks, giving much less contrast between upper- and underparts than in Slavonian Grebe. Fluffy, pale stern. No crest or tufts/tippets and no white markings on wings.
Sound:Relatively vocal compared to many other grebes. Call; sometimes a single quite clear high pitched "dydlylyyt". More often combined into longer phrases with harsher quality, oscillating like laughter and travelling up and down in pitch in agitated motion. Reminiscent of female Cuckoo.
Display:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCEasily distinguished from Cormorant in breeding plumage, but at other times easily confused with congeners. Smaller than Cormorant, with a more slender neck and rounded head. Bill slender and straight. Steep forehead with peaked front crown, differs from the wedge shaped head of Cormorant. Bill often with yellow tinge (never in Cormorant). Flies with quicker wing-beats and straight neck (Cormorant with bulge). Often dives with a high jump. Juveniles with darker underparts than Cormorant, and often an obvious brownish tinge. Rare in brackish water.
Sound:Very deep and harsh voice heard at breeding ground. Deep grunts alternated, or ended with clicking sounds.
Social interaction:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCSounds:www.xeno-canto.org,Jens Kirkeby,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/