Facts about Great Crested Grebes

Great crested grebes are one of my favourite birds and I want to tell you about them. They can be found in Croydon, but generally only at South Norwood Lake and sometimes at South Norwood Country Park. Their survival to the present day is partly down to the efforts of a group of Croydon women.

1. The Great Crested Grebe was an inspiration for the establishment of the RSPB

The Fur, Fin and Feather Folk was founded in 1889 in Croydon, meeting at the home of Eliza Phillips, on Morland Road. In 1891, they merged with the Plumage League, based in Didsbury, Manchester. Both groups had been set up to try to prevent the extinction of birds due to hunting for their feathers for women's hats. One of the species that was suffering was the great crested grebe, as they have beautiful head crests. The efforts of the group were successful in getting plume hunting banned and great crested grebes were saved from extinction, which I am very grateful for.

2. They are excellent underwater swimmers but can hardly walk

Great crested grebes are designed to be the ultimate divers - they're streamlined underwater and they can travel a long distance before reappearing on the surface. This comes at the expense of their ability to walk, however, as their legs are far back on their body. They only tend to get out of the water when they're nesting.

3. They mostly eat fish but also crustaceans

While diving, they catch small fish in their long, thin beaks. I've also observed them eating aquatic invertebrates like crayfish. 

This grebe had caught an eel in Greenland Dock, Surrey Quays

4. In winter, they are sometimes found in the sea

While they generally choose lakes and sometimes rivers, in the winter grebes can be found along the coastline. I was surprised when I first saw great crested grebes in the sea at Brighton. 

5. They have an elaborate courtship dance involving weeds

Great crested grebes are known for their courtship dance, where both of them will hold weeds in their beaks and seem to do a kind of ballet facing each other in the water. I've only seen it from a long way away, so this video from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is much better than anything I've managed to capture:

6. Their chicks are stripy with hearts on their foreheads

They tend to have 2-4 chicks at a time. The chicks are grey with dark grey and white stripes on their necks and heads. They have a little red heart on their forehead when they're young. I've heard people refer to them as "humbugs". 

7. They often carry their chicks on their backs

The parents will take turns to carry the chicks around on their backs. Amazingly, the chicks can be hidden completely in the adult's plumage, which looks very snug. Often, one adult will carry the chicks while the other catches fish for the family, but the youngsters do sometimes jump in the water. Last year I observed one of the chicks trying to get on the back of the parent who was trying to dive, while its siblings were on the other parent. Eventually though, the chicks get too big to ride around. 

8. They sometimes have two broods

The great crested grebe pair at South Norwood Lake in Croydon got started early this year - they were already sitting on eggs by Valentines day. They currently have two "teenagers" and they are encouraging them to fish independently. When I visited on 7th May, I spotted two little stripy chicks on a parent's back. It's impressive work, having two broods. Elsewhere, I've seen a grebe parent getting very angry with a teenager who tried to get on the nest while the parents were switching over egg-sitting duties for the second brood. 

Teenage grebes, South Norwood Lake

9. They have a wide global distribution, breeding as far away as New Zealand

Great crested grebes are found across the "Old World", from the UK and Ireland, across much of Europe and Asia, in parts of Africa and Australia and New Zealand. The Maori name for the Australasian great crested grebe is Pūteketeke and they were voted Bird of the Century last year. However, they aren't doing so well in Australasia sadly, as they're classified as vulnerable. 

Little grebe with a chick at Waddon Ponds

10. They have a smaller cousin, the little grebe

Little grebes, also known as dabchicks, are smaller and rounder than their crested counterparts. Sometimes people mistake them for ducklings. They also catch fish and also carry their chicks on their backs. Locally, they are resident and breed at Waddon Ponds, plus they're often seen in Beddington Park lake, especially during the winter. They are pretty shy and will suddenly disappear under the water but they don't tend to travel as far as the great crested grebes before popping up again. 

Four little grebe chicks at Waddon Ponds

Juvenile little grebe with a fish

If you're curious about great crested grebes, in addition to the sites mentioned above, you can find them elsewhere in London. Hop on an Overground train to Canada Water and you may see them in Canada Water itself, or in nearby Greenland Dock. They have bred successfully in St James's Park and I've also seen them recently in Regent's Park. 

All photos are my own work.