Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: New Zealand Grebe
- Scientific name: New Zealand Grebe, *Poliocephalus rufopectus*
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Genus and family: Order Grebes, Family Grebes, Genus *Hemiberleinii*
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
It is distributed in Australia and New Zealand (including Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and 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 New Zealand Grebe is a waterfowl, and like other members of the grebe family, it is a highly social waterbird. Most of its body is blackish-brown, with distinctive silver feathers appearing like threads beneath the plumage. The chest and neck are chestnut-colored, while the lower abdomen is silvery-white with black streaks. It has pale yellow eyes and a black beak. Males are larger than females. Juveniles have slightly paler plumage, with irregular white, brown, and black stripes on their heads and necks. While not well-suited for land life, the New Zealand Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver.
The New Zealand Grebe has a straight, laterally compressed, pointed bill; open nostrils located near the base of the bill; short wings 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, the hind toe is short and positioned higher than the other toes, or may be absent. The body 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; chicks are precocial.
Detailed introduction
The New Zealand Grebe, scientifically known as *Poliocephalus rufopectus*, is a waterfowl that, like other members of the grebe family, is a highly social waterbird.
The New Zealand grebe is not a good 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 New Zealand Grebe builds floating nests 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.
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