Black Necked Grebe

Black necked grebe in stunning breeding plumage, Yorkshire UK. Black necked grebes are incredibly rare breeding birds in the UK, estimated at just 32-51 pairs, half of which are found in my home county of Yorkshire! In late winter I spent several days photographing a pair as they warmed up to the breeding season and disappeared into the dense reed beds. 

About the Black Necked Grebe:

The black necked grebe is a small diving waterbird found on coastal estuaries and inland reservoirs where they feed on a mixture of fish, crustaceans  and aquatic invertebrates. During the Winter months their plain black and white plumage shifts to stunning black and red with beautiful golden feather tufts. They are similar in appearance to the slavonian grebe but lack the red neck and have a steep forehead with upturned bill. 

Black necked grebes are an uncommon sight in the UK and breed here even more rarely. The current population estimate puts them at just 32-51 pairs and they are listed as a Schedule 1 species on The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

You can find more about black necked grebes here.