Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Short-winged Grebe
- Scientific name: Rollandia microptera, Titicaca Grebe
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family and Genus: Order Pterygota, Family Pterygota, Genus *Pterygota*
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Body feathers and wings are brown with black markings; white neck and chest; red beak; straight, laterally flattened beak with a pointed tip.
Distribution and Habitat
It is distributed in South America (including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands).
They inhabit the plant communities of freshwater lakes and marshes, spending almost their entire lives in the water.
Appearance
The body and wings are brown with black markings; the neck and breast are white; the beak is red, straight, laterally compressed, and pointed; the nostrils are open and located near the base of the beak; the wings are short with 12 primary flight feathers, the first one remaining, and the fifth secondary flight feather missing. The tail has only some short, soft down feathers, or almost none. The legs are located 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 plumage is short and dense, providing excellent moisture resistance; the feathers have secondary feathers, and the preen gland is feathered; the sexes are similar. The skull is either cleft palate or fully nasal; both lack basal pterygoid processes; the digestive system lacks a cecum; chicks are precocial.
Detailed introduction
The short-winged grebe, scientifically known as *Rollandia microptera*, also called *Titicaca Grebe*, is a flocked bird. It is not a strong flier and swims primarily on its legs, rarely walking on land. It can dive to forage, typically at 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 Short-winged 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.
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