SungrebeHeliornis fulicaRetiring, small swimming bird of tropical lowlands. It’s not a grebe and it doesn’t like the sun; instead it favors slow-moving shady streams, mangroves, quiet ponds, and lake edges. Swims with a slight head-jerking motion and flies off low over the water when disturbed or climbs up into low branches and tangles; does not dive. The striped head and neck and stout pointed bill are distinctive. The cheeks are white on the male and orangish on the female.Heliornithidae bird family
Order Gruiformes · 2 selected species
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SungrebeHeliornis fulicaRetiring, small swimming bird of tropical lowlands. It’s not a grebe and it doesn’t like the sun; instead it favors slow-moving shady streams, mangroves, quiet ponds, and lake edges. Swims with a slight head-jerking motion and flies off low over the water when disturbed or climbs up into low branches and tangles; does not dive. The striped head and neck and stout pointed bill are distinctive. The cheeks are white on the male and orangish on the female.SungrebeHeliornis fulicaRetiring, small swimming bird of tropical lowlands. It’s not a grebe and it doesn’t like the sun; instead it favors slow-moving shady streams, mangroves, quiet ponds, and lake edges. Swims with a slight head-jerking motion and flies off low over the water when disturbed or climbs up into low branches and tangles; does not dive. The striped head and neck and stout pointed bill are distinctive. The cheeks are white on the male and orangish on the female.