The Great Crested Grebe, easily recognizable by its elegant appearance.
Introduction
The Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is an elegant medium-to-large aquatic bird belonging to the family Podicipedidae (the grebes). Its dimensions are as follows:
Length: 46 to 51 cm
Wingspan: 85 to 90 cm
Weight: 800 to 1400 grams
It is famous for its spectacular breeding plumage, characterized by a double black crest and a broad rufous-chestnut collar bordered with black on its white cheeks. These ornaments, less visible in winter, make it a very distinctive bird. The Great Crested Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, feeding mainly on fish. It is also renowned for its elaborate courtship display, often called the "weed dance."
Our Ornithologist's Advice
By the Les-Oiseaux.com team, published August 1, 2025.
My personal advice: The Great Crested Grebe is a common resident of our freshwater bodies, but it is often confused with other smaller grebes. To distinguish it without hesitation, focus on these aspects:
Elegance and head ornaments: During the breeding season, its appearance is unique: two triangular black crests on top of its head and a spectacular facial collar of rufous and black feathers. It's as if it's wearing a wig and a ruff! Even in winter, though less flamboyant, the remnants of the crests and the long, slender neck remain characteristic.
Behavior on the surface and diving: Observe its low swimming posture on the water, and its regular dives for fishing. It can stay underwater for a long time and reappear far from its diving point. Its long legs are positioned very far back on the body, making it clumsy on land but incredibly agile underwater.
Paying attention to these details, combined with its slender silhouette and swan-like neck, will help you fully appreciate this majestic bird of calm waters.
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Identification
Identification of the Great Crested Grebe is relatively easy, especially in breeding plumage.
Breeding plumage (spring-summer): The adult is spectacular. It features a prominent double black crest on the top of its head and a broad rufous-chestnut feather collar bordered with black, framing its white cheeks. The back is dark brown to black, the flanks are buff-colored, and the belly is silky white. The bill is slender, pale pink at the base and black at the tip. The eyes are red.
Non-breeding plumage (autumn-winter): In winter, the head ornaments are much less pronounced. The crest is reduced, and the facial collar is almost absent, leaving the head and neck mostly white, with a grey-black cap. The back remains dark and the belly white.
Juvenile: Young Great Crested Grebes resemble adults in winter plumage, but they are distinguished by prominent dark stripes on the head and neck, which fade with age.
In winter, the Great Crested Grebe loses some of its ornaments, but its slender silhouette remains recognizable.
Dimensions and Scientific Records (Great Crested Grebe)
Characteristic
Male
Female
Record / Average
Length
46 – 51 cm
46 – 51 cm
46 – 51 cm (adults)
Weight
800 – 1400 g
800 – 1400 g
800 – 1400 g (adults)
Wingspan
85 – 90 cm
85 – 90 cm
85 – 90 cm
Flight Speed
40 – 60 km/h
40 – 60 km/h
50 km/h (estimated)
Lifespan
Up to 15 years
Up to 15 years
Up to 19 years (in the wild)
These figures confirm the Great Crested Grebe as a distinctive aquatic bird of significant size, well adapted to life on water.
Not to be confused with...
Red-necked Grebe
The Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) is smaller and has a shorter, rufous-colored neck (hence its name). It does not have the black crests or the facial collar as developed as the Great Crested Grebe. Its bill is thicker and often has a yellow patch at the base.
Slavonian Grebe (Horned Grebe)
The Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus), also known as Horned Grebe, is significantly smaller than the Great Crested Grebe. In breeding plumage, it has golden feather tufts behind the eye and black cheeks, very different from the rufous collar of the Great Crested Grebe. Its bill is shorter and thinner.
Song and Calls
The Great Crested Grebe is generally a quiet bird outside the breeding season. During courtship, it becomes more vocal, emitting a variety of harsh calls, sonorous clucking, and trills. The most characteristic call is a repetitive "krro-krro-krro" or a rapid "kek-kek-kek," often audible during its courtship rituals. Its vocal repertoire is essential for maintaining pair bonds and territorial interactions.
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Habitat and Distribution of the Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a widespread species, present in much of temperate Europe and Asia, as well as in Africa (where some populations winter) and Australasia. It favors freshwater aquatic habitats such as shallow large lakes, ponds, reservoirs, gravel pits, and slow-moving rivers. The presence of dense aquatic vegetation, such as reed beds, is crucial for nesting, shelter, and foraging.
Distribution Map
Present all year (Resident)
Breeding range
Wintering range (Non-breeding)
Passage area (Migration)
Diet
The Great Crested Grebe is a voracious piscivore. Its diet mainly consists of fish, including species such as perch, roach, pike, and sticklebacks, which it catches by diving underwater. It is capable of pursuing its prey with agility thanks to its powerful legs and streamlined body. Occasionally, it supplements its diet with aquatic insects, crustaceans, and tadpoles. It has the peculiar habit of ingesting its own feathers and those of its chicks, which is believed to help form pellets for digesting fish bones. Other common aquatic birds, such as the Mallard and the Common Moorhen, share similar habitats but have distinct dietary habits.
Reproduction
The Great Crested Grebe is famous for its elaborate and graceful courtship display, often described as a "weed dance." Both partners face each other, stand up out of the water, shake their heads, and exchange tufts of weeds. Nesting occurs from April to July. The nest is a floating structure made of aquatic vegetation, anchored to emergent vegetation, and built by both parents. The female typically lays 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by both adults for 27 to 29 days. After hatching, the striped chicks often climb onto their parents' backs, who carry them even underwater during dives. They fledge approximately 70 to 80 days after hatching.
Conservation Status
The Great Crested Grebe is classified as "Least Concern" (LC) by the IUCN. Its global population is considered stable and even increasing in some parts of Europe. However, it remains sensitive to habitat disturbances, particularly water quality degradation, destruction of reed beds, and disturbance at nesting sites. The introduction of exotic fish and the use of fishing nets can also pose local threats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to identify the Great Crested Grebe?
The adult Great Crested Grebe in breeding plumage is easily recognizable by its two erectile black crests and its broad rufous-chestnut collar bordered with black. Its belly is white and its back is dark. In winter, its crests and collar are less prominent.
Where does the Great Crested Grebe live?
It inhabits large freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and slow-moving rivers, rich in emergent vegetation for nesting and concealment. It is found in much of Europe, Asia, and Australasia.
What does the Great Crested Grebe eat?
It is an excellent diver that feeds mainly on small fish, but also on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and amphibians that it catches by swimming underwater using its feet.
