Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: German Little Grebe
- Scientific name: Tachybaptus rufolavatus, Alaotra Grebe
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Genus and family: Grebes, order Grebes, family Grebes, genus *Lepidoptera*
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
It was declared extinct on May 26, 2010.
Distribution and Habitat
It is distributed in the Indian Ocean (including Madagascar and its nearby islands).
They inhabit the vegetation of freshwater lakes and marshes, spend almost their entire lives in the water, and often live in groups.
Appearance
The Little Grebe is a waterfowl. It differs from other grebes in its distinct plumage patches. The head is chestnut, the neck reddish-brown, and the bill, when the sap is removed, is a mixture of black, brown, and white. The bill is black, straight, laterally compressed, and pointed; the nostrils are open and located near the base of the bill; the wings are short, with 12 primary flight feathers, the first vestigial, and the fifth secondary flight feather missing. The tail has only some short, soft down feathers, or almost none. The feet are positioned near the rump. The tarsi are laterally compressed, adapted for diving; all four toes have broad, webbed edges; the claws are blunt and broad, the inner edge of the middle toe is serrated, and the hind toe is short and positioned higher than the other toes, or may be absent. The plumage is short and dense, providing excellent moisture resistance; the feathers have accessory feathers, and the preen gland is feathered; the sexes are similar. The skull is either cleft palate or fully nasal; both lack basal wing processes; the digestive system lacks a cecum; the chicks are precocial.
Detailed introduction
The German Little Grebe, scientifically known as *Tachybaptus rufolavatus*, also called Alaotra Grebe, is not a strong flier. It swims using its legs instead of its wings and rarely walks on land. It can dive to forage, typically diving to depths of only 1-4 meters. Its diet consists mainly of aquatic insects and larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and small plants.
When breeding, the Little Grebe builds a floating nest in the grassy areas near water, using reeds, weeds, and some clay. Each nest contains 2-7 white eggs, often stained with dirt. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 25 days. The chicks are precocial, covered in dense downy feathers, and can move freely. For the first 2-3 weeks after hatching, the parents often carry the chicks on their backs; if startled and diving, they tuck them under their wings.
Since the mid-20th century, the population of the Little Grebe has been declining. The main reasons are predation by the invasive species *Channa argus* and the reduction of the gene pool due to natural hybridization between the two species. They were last observed in 1985 and were declared extinct on May 26, 2010. However, there is still a possibility of their rediscovery, as the Madagascar Pochard, once thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in Lake Alautra in 2006.
Listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver 3.1: 2010).
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