Listen to the little grebe
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the little grebe
The little grebe is a bird in the family Podicipedidae (order Podicipediformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 42 cm and weigh around 14 g.
What does the little grebe sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as flight call and nocturnal flight call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as the 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".
At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European, Asian, and African member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
More from the family Podicipedidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a little grebe sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the little grebe on this page, including its flight call and nocturnal flight call. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the little grebe endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the little grebe as “least concern”.
What family does the little grebe belong to?
The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) belongs to the family Podicipedidae in the order Podicipediformes.
Sources & credits
- Tachybaptus ruficollis (call) by Flor WMCH – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Flight call, nocturnal flight call · Dresden, Dresden, Sachsen, Germany by Jens Loose – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q25421 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Little grebe – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Zeynel Cebeci – CC BY-SA 4.0