328 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



Family PODICIPEDIDyE. Geuus Podiceps. 



R E D-N ECKED GREBE. 



Podiceps rubricollis {Gmelin). 



(British : Nomadic autumn and winter migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, May and June. 



Breeding area : Western Palaearctic region. The 

 typical form of the Red-necked Grebe breeds in Scandi- 

 navia as far north as the Arctic Circle, and in Russia, from 

 as far north as Archangel southwards to the Caspian 

 and Black Seas, but apparently absent from the north- 

 east of that country. It also breeds in the remainder of 

 Europe which lies north of the Danube valley and east 

 of the Rhine. South of the Mediterranean, it is said to 

 breed sparingly in Morocco and Algeria. Eastwards in 

 Asia it breeds in South-western Siberia and Turkestan. 

 Podiceps rubricollis major of Temminck and Schlegel 

 (the Podiceps Jiolboelli of Reinhardt) is the East Asian 

 and Nearctic representative race. 



Breeding habits : The Red-necked Grebe wanders 

 no further from its breeding haunts during winter than 

 the necessities of life demand. It returns north again 

 with the break-up of the ice, reaching its summer quarters 

 late in March, or in April and May, according to latitude 

 and state of the season. To a certain extent this Grebe 

 is gregarious, breeding not only in odd pairs, but in 

 scattered colonies, and continuing social right through 

 the summer. Its favourite breeding places are lakes and 

 ponds with shallow margins overgrown with reeds, rushes, 

 and other aquatic vegetation. There can be little doubt 

 that the bird pairs for life. The nests are usually floating 

 structures made amonccst the reeds at some distance from 



