462 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



PODICEPS RUFICOLLIS 



355. Podiceps ruficollis ruficollis (Pall.)— THE LITTLE GREBE. 



Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, Vroeg's Cat. Coll., Adumbratiuncula, p. 6 



(1764— Holland). 



Colymbus fluviatilis Tunstall, Orn. Brit., p. 3 (1771 — Great Britain, no 



descr., but based on Brisson's " Grebe de la riviere."). 



Podiceps Minutus Latham, Gen. Synops., Suppl., p. 294 (1787 — Great 



Britain. Based on " Little Grebe " Latham, Gen. Synops., v, p. 289). 



Podiceps Hebridalis id., I.e. (1787 — Isl. Tiree, Inner Hebrides). 



Sylbeocyclus Europaeus Macgillivray, Man. Brit. Orn., 11, p. 205 (1842 — 



Gt. Britain. New name for Colymbus minor Gm.). 



Podiceps fluviatilis (Tunstall), Yarrell, iv, p. 137 ; Podicipes fluviatilis 



(Tunstall), Saunders, p. 725. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Summer. — Whole upper- 

 parts brown -black somewhat glossy and with slight admixture of 

 brown, back of neck glossy blue-black, sides of rump and tail with 

 admixture of rufous-buff and white ; lores, under eye, chin and 

 extending on to upper -throat black ; rest of throat, ear-coverts 

 and sides of neck chestnut ; (feathers of sides of head and back of 

 crown somewhat long but no tufts or tippet) ; upper-breast more 

 or less black, some feathers with white tips which become more or 

 less worn off ; rest of breast and belly mixture of black and silky- 

 white (amount of black on under -parts varies individually but is 

 always increased as summer advances by growth of new feathers 

 and by wearing away of white tips) ; flanks black, bases of feathers 

 white and those of lower-flanks rufous-buff ; vent grey-brown ; 

 axillaries and under wing-coverts white ; primaries grey-brown, 



tips blackish, extreme 

 bases of inner webs white ; 

 secondaries brown, inner 

 webs of outer feathers 

 with considerable amount 

 of white, which increases 

 on inner feathers and ex- 

 tends to outer webs and 

 tips (amount of white 

 varies considerably indi- 

 vidually), innermost fea- 

 thers more blackish and 

 white confined to base of 

 inner webs ; greater and median coverts dull grey-black, tips browner 

 and new innermost feathers blacker ; lesser coverts paler black- 

 brown. This plumage is acquired by moult of body-feathers and 

 tail and a few innermost wing-coverts and one or two innermost 

 secondaries commencing Feb. and continuing even as late as June 

 and July. Winter. — A complete moult commences in August ; 

 moult of body gradual extending to Nov. and Dec. ; moult of wings 

 very rapid, all wing-feathers, greater and median-coverts being 

 shed simultaneously (lesser coverts shortly afterwards) Aug.-Oct. 



The Little Grebe (Podiceps r. ruficollis). Adult, winter. 



