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Grebe
Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Most grebes fly, although some flightless species exist, most notably in stable lakes. The order contains a single family (biology), family, the Podicipedidae, which includes 22 species in six extant genus, genera. Although, superficially, they resemble other diving birds such as loons and coots, they are most closely related to flamingos, as supported by morphology (biology), morphological, molecular and paleontology, paleontological data. Many species are monogamy in animals, monogamous and are known for their courtship displays, with the pair performing synchronized dances across the water's surface. The birds build floating vegetative nests where they lay several eggs. About a third of the world's grebes are listed at various levels of conservatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Crested Grebe
The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship display that involves synchronised dances and displays. Taxonomy The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Colymbus cristatus''. It is now the type species of the genus '' Podiceps'' that was erected by the English naturalist John Latham in 1787. The type locality is Sweden. The scientific name comes from Latin: the genus name ''Podiceps'' is from , "vent" and , "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body; the specific name, ''cristatus'', means "crested". Subspecies Three subspecies are currently accepted: Description The great crested grebe is the largest speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Neo-Latin, Modern Latin ''-collis'', "-necked", itself derived from Latin ''collum'' "neck". At 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. Taxonomy The little grebe was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Colymbus ruficollis''. The tricolored grebe was formerly considered conspecific, with some taxonomic authorities still considering it so. Subspecies Seven subspecies are currently accepted, four widespread, and three with restricted ranges; they are separated principally by size, eye colour, which varies from dark to light from west to east, and extent of white on the seco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podiceps Griseigena 238
''Podiceps'' is a genus of birds in the grebe family. The genus name comes from Latin , "rear-end" and ', "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body. It has representatives breeding in all continents except Antarctica. Some species are partially or entirely migratory, moving in winter to the coast or warmer climates. Most species are widespread and overall common, but three South American species each are restricted to a single country; two of them are seriously threatened and a third is already extinct. They breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, nesting on the water's edge, since their legs are set too far back for easy walking. Usually two eggs are laid, and the striped young may be carried on the adult's back. All the genus are excellent swimmers and divers, and pursue their fish prey underwater. Adults have striking breeding plumage, with no difference between the sexes. In winter, the plumage is subdued whites and gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Least Grebe
The least grebe (''Tachybaptus dominicus''), an aquatic bird, is the smallest member of the grebe family. It occurs in the New World from the southwestern United States and Mexico to Argentina, and also on Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles. Description The least grebe ranges in length from (depending on the subspecies) and in weight from . Weights are variable based on region and subspecies, being smaller in Panama, where males weighed a mean of against the females and larger in the West Indies, where the sexes weigh a mean of and , respectively. In Texas, size is intermediate at and . Even in the largest races, the least grebe is still smaller and lighter than any other grebe species.''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition'' by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), . Like all grebes, its legs are set far back on its body and it cannot walk well, though it is an excellent swimmer and diver. Small and plump, with a fairly short, shar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant (16 December 1798) was a Welsh natural history, naturalist, traveller, writer and antiquarian. He was born and lived his whole life at his family estate, Downing Hall, near Whitford, Flintshire, in Wales. As a naturalist he had a great curiosity, observing the geography, geology, plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish around him and recording what he saw and heard about. He wrote acclaimed books including ''British Zoology'', the ''History of Quadrupeds'', ''Arctic Zoology'' and ''Indian Zoology'' although he never travelled further afield than continental Europe. He knew and maintained correspondence with many of the scientific figures of his day. His books influenced the writings of Samuel Johnson. As an antiquarian, he amassed a considerable collection of art and other works, largely selected for their scientific interest. Many of these works are now housed at the National Library of Wales. As a traveller he visited Scotland and many other par ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Grebe
The great grebe (''Podiceps major'') is the largest species of grebe in the world. A disjunct population exists in northwestern Peru, while the main distribution is from extreme southeastern Brazil to Patagonia and central Chile. The population from southern Chile is considered a separate subspecies, ''P. m. navasi''. Taxonomy The great grebe was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1781 in his . The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the ', which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name ''Colymbus major'' in his catalogue of the ''Planches Enluminées''. Buffon mistakenly believed that his specimen had come from Cayenne in French Guiana. The great grebe is now placed in the genus ''Pod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podicipedini
Podicipedini is a tribe of waterbirds belonging to the family Podicipedidae containing the genera '' Aechmophorus'' and '' Podiceps''. Members of this tribe of grebes are characterized based on the presence of nuptial plumes and downy young with a bare crown patch. They are more specialized for diving though the anatomy that enables them to do so makes them weaker to stand upright. Further they have much complex mating dance rituals. Based on these characteristics, other possible genera in the clade include '' Poliocephalus'' and '' Rollandia''. Indeed a molecular phylogeny by Ogawa et al. (2015) using genetic data from 3 mitochondrial markers found ''Podiceps'' to be paraphyletic in respect to ''Rollandia'', as the latter genus is more closely related to several New World species of the former genus. The inclusion of the Neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thiornis
''Thiornis'' is a fossil genus of Middle Miocene grebe known from a nearly complete specimen from Libros, Spain. Originally classified as a type of moorhen, ''Thiornis'' has since been classified as a species of grebe. The overall anatomy of the bird is identical to modern grebes. It contains a single species, ''T. sociata''. History The specimen was described by the Spanish Jesuit priest and entomologist Longinos Navás. Despite being of such distinction, Navás had described several vertebrates from the locality. For a while the whereabouts since its description was unknown, but unbeknownst to the scientific community, the slab was on display in the Paris Museum at least since 1930 where it was finally reexamine for a 1995 redescription by American biologist and ornithologist Storrs L. Olson. Description The holotype of ''Thiornis'' is known from a virtually completed specimen that majority of it consists of postcranial material and even feather impressions (National Museum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podilymbini
Podilymbini is a potential tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ... of waterbirds belonging to the family Podicipedidae containing the genera '' Podilymbus'' and '' Tachybaptus''. In comparison to Podicipedini, podilymbins are characterized by the lack of nuptial plumes and the chicks have rufous down in one or more patches on the crown. They are able to stand upright and move around land more so. The mating displays among these birds are simpler. There is uncertainty for the tribe, however, due to different morphological studies suggesting different interpretations of the tribe. Bochenski (1994) using comparative osteology studies found Podilymbini to also include the genera '' Poliocephalus'' and '' Rollandia''. In his paper he found ''Podilymbus'' to be basal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pliolymbus
''Pliolymbus'' is a fossil genus of grebe known from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of United States and Mexico. It is known from a single species, ''P. baryosteus''. History The specimens were collected in the summer of 1950 from Kansas, United States by Claude W. Hibbard and the species was named in 1967 by Bertram G. Murray. The binomial nomenclature for the species means “heavy bone Pliocene diver” in reference of the age and skeletal features of the grebe. Howard (1969) published a specimen collected from Lake Chapala from a series of field surveys in the region from 1926, 1958 and 1963. Description A total of six specimens of ''Pliolymbus'' have been recovered. The holotype consists of the anterior portion of the sternum ( UMMP 51839). The additional specimens are a humerus (UMMP 51840), proximal of a coracoid (UMMP 51841), the shaft of a tarsometatarsus (UMMP 51844), and a more incomplete specimen that has more complete remains of coracoids, an ulna and carp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miobaptus
''Miobaptus'' is a fossil genus of grebe that is known from several specimens collected from Czechia and Lake Baikal dating from the Early Miocene to Middle Miocene. Considered to be one of the most primitive genera of grebes, the anatomy of ''Miobaptus'' suggests it was less adapted for the aquatic mode of life than modern grebes, but had better flight maneuverability. History The holotype species ''M. walteri'' was collected from Dolnice and described by Švec (1982). He would later describe more specimens of the species from Bohemia in 1984. A second species ''M. huzhiricus'' was described by Zelenkov (2015) from specimens collected from Olkhon Island. Description The distal part in the humeri of ''Miobaptus'' is different from extant grebes as the surface is flat and overall the wingbones more elongated. In contrast the distal ends in the humeri of extant grebes the surfaces is more concave, and overall they have much shorter wingbones. Classification ''Miobaptus'' is pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
