Slavonian Grebe

Podiceps auritus (Linnaeus, 1758)

		spring summer -> winter winter juvenile
2016-05-02 Bolshoi Chagan. Ural river holm. Western Kazakhstan. 2013-09-08 Almaty area. Sorbulak lake.2013-09-28 Small Sorbulak lakes, Almaty region2010-08-07 Sabyndykol lake, Bayanaul National Park	© Askar Isabekov © Andrey Kovalenko© Antonina Fokina© Denis Zirnit

Description

Slavonian Grebe in breeding plumage have black-brownish upperparts; upperhead, throat and long collar-feathers are black; eye-strip is pale-rusty; fore and flanks of neck. Craw, breast-flanks and body-flanks are rusty; undertail is smoky; underparts and majority of secondaries are white. Bill is black, and yellowish in base; lags are blackish in outer parts and olive-grey in inner ones. Eyes are red. Winter plumage has lack of rusty and collar; head-flanks and chin are white, fore-neck is smoky; flanks are with grey patches. Juveniles are similar on winter adults but have slightly greyer mantle. Sizes: wing 132-153, bill 21-27 мм. Weight 250-340 gr.

Distribution

Breeding in northern plains, south to confluence of Utva and Ilek rivers, Bolshoy Aksuat lake, Karaganda, and on Southern Altai (Bukhtarma valley, Markakol lake), and in southern spur of Azutau ridge, where two broods were recorded 27 July 2001. Seen in other areas on migration. Several birds recorded on 11 July 1958 on Kushum river. Occasionally observed on Kurgaldzhin lakes and in Alakol hollow, where single bird recorded 30 August 1989 and two – 2 September 1989. 19 June 1992 on Peshnoy island, Caspian Sea female with juvenile recorded; such a sighting so far south of normal breeding range is not explained.

Biology

Slavonian Grebe is rare breeding migrant. Inhabits small lakes, ponds and deep-water bogs etc. with rich surface vegetation. Appears mid-March – April; migration comes to an end in late May. On migration recorded singly or in pairs and flocks up to 10 individuals. Nesting by single pairs and small colonies up to 10-15 pairs. Floating nests are built from decayed stems and leaves among vegetation; non-floating nests on tussocks or on the shore among weeds are not uncommon. Breeding begins in late May. Clutches of 4-5, rarely of 6 eggs. Juveniles recorded by end June – mid-August, but one brood observed 29 September. Autumn dispersal already in evidence by late July, and migration occurs in August – September. Late individuals have been observed mid-November.

Subspecies

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 1. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1960. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.