(Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
Length: 25-27 cm Common
Inhabits wetlands with abundant aquatic vegetation. Nests among emergent water plants. Poor fluttering flyers, they keep to smaller deeper stretches of fresh water with patchy reed cover in which they can hide. They feed mostly at dawn and dusk on small fish, pond snails, water insects and crustaceans.Australasian Grebes eat their feathers and feed them to their young.
This may prevent sharp fish bones from perforating the gut. They remain in territorial pairs or small groups when not breeding and are the most vocal of Australian grebes. Three broods per season. Eggs: 4 to 7; pale blue stained brown.
