Little grebe

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".

Little grebe
Two adults in breeding plumage, below with feathers pressed against the body, for low buoyancy
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Tachybaptus
Species:
T. ruficollis
Binomial name
Tachybaptus ruficollis
(Pallas, 1764)
Synonyms

Podiceps ruficollis

At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+12 inches) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

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