No.049 · Birds · Common

Great crested grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Elegant water bird with a double crest and courtship dance. Chicks ride on their parents' backs.

When to see a great crested grebe

All year, mostly at dawn, by day and at dusk.

What else is about in April

Time of day

Dawn
Day
Dusk
Night

Where to see a great crested grebe in the UK

The Norfolk Broads. Open water at Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere.

These are real places in Britain, the same ones the game uses. Check the reserve or landowner's own guidance before you go.

Great crested grebe facts at a glance

Best time: Day, all year; courtship February–May.
Where in the game: the Norfolk Broads (broad and river)
Size: Length 45–51 cm (Wildlife Trusts)
Wingspan: About 88 cm (Wildlife Trusts)
Weight: About 1 kg (BTO)
Lifespan: Oldest ringed bird 11 years 10 months (BTO)
Population: About 4,900 pairs (BTO, 2016); 18,000 wintering (2012–17)
Status: Green (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)

Diet

Fish and aquatic invertebrates

Habitat

Lakes, broads and slow rivers

Breeding

Clutch 3–4 eggs; incubation 27–29 days; young fledge at 71–79 days.

Field signs

A floating nest of weed anchored among the reeds
Striped chicks riding on a parent's back
A double crest and orange ruff in the breeding season
Dives to feed and to escape, rather than flying

Did you know?

Around 1860 as few as 32 pairs were known in England, after birds were hunted for their plumes (BTO).
Pairs offer each other weed, rising chest to chest (RSPB).
Very young chicks often ride on their parents' backs (RSPB).

Moments worth waiting for

Weed dance February to May, dawn and day
Two grebes rise chest to chest, offering weed.
Chicks on back May to August, day
Striped chicks peek out from under a parent's wing.

Photo tip

Use a low angle at water level for reflections. In February–May, watch a pair from a bankside seat in soft early light with a 400–500 mm lens, and be ready for the weed dance.

Be a good naturalist

Keep well back from nests, especially from boats: grebe nests float at the water's edge and wash can swamp them. Don't approach courting or nesting pairs.

The law

Protected under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.