IDENTIFICATION

Somewhat larger than Little Grebe but differs in shape due to flat crown that peaks near the back of the head and flatter, longer body. Bill straight with a pale tip, eyes red. Adult in breeding plumage has golden-yellow ear tufts (‘horns’), rich rufous-brown underparts and dark upperparts.

In winter separated from Black-necked Grebe by clear-cut boundary of dark cap with white cheeks and paler fore neck. Juvenile has pale greyish irregular band across cheek.

VOCALISATIONS

Mainly silent in winter. The call usually heard away from the breeding grounds is a subdued rolling screech that falls in pitch at the end.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

The only record was present on the water in the intertidal areas of Deep Bay.

OCCURRENCE

The sole record is of a bird in breeding plumage off Mai Po boardwalk on 9 April 1996 (Carey 1998).

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

No observations.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

Breeds across much of the Holarctic between 45^oN and 70^oN, mostly south of the Arctic Circle. The nominate taxon occurs in the Palearctic, wintering coastally in western and southeast Europe, the Black and Caspian Seas and east Asia from Hokkaido to southeast China. American birds (P. a. cornutus) winter on both Pacific and Atlantic coasts as well as in inland areas in southeast U.S.A. (Stedman 2020).

In China breeds in the northwest and winters in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze and areas a short way south, including Taiwan (Liu and Chen 2021). The paucity of HK records indicates that few birds winter this far south.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: VULNERABLE. Population decreasing rapidly due to human disturbance, forestry operations around breeding lakes, fluctuating water levels and the stocking of lakes with Rainbow Trout.