Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Argentine Grebe
- Scientific name: Argentine Grebe, Black-banded Grebe, Podiceps gallardoi, Hooded Grebe
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Genus and family: Order Grebes, Family Grebes, Genus Grebes
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
They inhabit the vegetation of freshwater lakes and marshes, spend almost their entire lives in the water, and often live in groups.
Appearance
The Argentine Grebe is a loon. It has a black head, black neck, and black back feathers, with the rest of its body white. A small tuft of deep red feathers adorns its forehead. The bill is 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 flaps; 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; basal wing processes are absent; the digestive system lacks a cecum; chicks are precocial.
Detailed introduction
The Argentine Grebe, scientifically known as *Podiceps gallardoi*, is a flightless bird. 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 Argentine 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.
The Argentine grebe has a low reproductive rate, with a population of approximately 3,000 in 2006. In 2006, it was listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List.
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