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Birds and Butterflies of Rhodes
RODOPTERA
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Little grebe. Greek: νανοβουτηχτάρι. Gadouras reservoir, July 2022.
Resident, small numbers at reservoirs. Length: 25-29 cm, wingspan: 40-45 cm. Sexes similar. Excellent dive-hunter of fish mostly in shallow water. Picks insects off water surface and plants. Elaborate courtship display by both sexes. Nests at water’s edge. Chicks sometimes carried on back of swimming parents. Reluctant flyer, dives when threatened. Aggressive behaviour when breeding.
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