Least Grebe
Tachybaptus dominicus
This wee little grebe is dark gray overall with paler fluffy bum. The face is dark in breeding plumage; paler with a whitish throat in nonbreeding plumage. Also note piercing yellow eye and thin, sharply pointed bill. Compare with Pied-billed Grebe, which is larger, browner, and thicker-billed. Widespread throughout Middle and South America; very limited range in the U.S. Found in marshy ponds, often with extensive vegetation. Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small groups. Frequently dives underwater.
识别特征
The least grebe ranges in length from 21–27 cm (8.3–10.6 in) (depending on the subspecies) and in weight from 112–180 g (4.0–6.3 oz). Weights are variable based on region and subspecies, being smaller in Panama, where males weighed a mean of 129 g (4.6 oz) against the females 116 g (4.1 oz) and larger in the West Indies, where the sexes weigh a mean of 161 g (5.7 oz) and 133 g (4.7 oz), respectively. In Texas, size is intermediate at 139 g (4.9 oz) and 122 g (4.3 oz). Even in the largest races, the least grebe is still smaller and lighter than any other grebe species. Like all grebes, its legs are set far back on its body and it cannot walk well, though it is an excellent swimmer and diver. Small and plump, with a fairly short, sharp-pointed beak and bright yellow eyes, it typically appears quite dark all over.<p>The breeding adult is brownish grey above with a darker blackish crown and throat. It has a brownish chest and pale underparts. It shows a white wing patch in flight. Non-breeding birds are paler with a whitish throat, and immatures are paler and greyer than adults. Unlike all other members of its genus, it lacks any chestnut coloring on its neck.
分类信息
There are five recognized subspecies of least grebe, separated principally by size and color.<p>Its genus name, Tachybaptus, is a combination of two Greek words—takhus meaning fast and baptos meaning diving, or sinking under. The specific name dominicus refers to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which was formerly known as Santo Domingo. As its English name suggests, the least grebe is overall the smallest member of the grebe family. It is the only member of its genus found in the New World; the four other members of the genus Tachybaptus reside in the Old World and Australasia.
- 学名
- Tachybaptus dominicus
- 命名信息
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- 目
- Podicipediformes
- 科
- Podicipedidae
- 属
- Tachybaptus
分布与栖息地
Least grebes are found in a wide variety of wetland habitats, including freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes, slow-flowing streams and rivers, roadside ditches, and mangrove swamps. In general, they prefer bodies of water with significant amounts of vegetative cover, particularly along the edges; they will even use wetlands which are almost completely overgrown. They may choose small, temporary bodies of water to breed, in an effort to avoid predation of their chicks by large fish.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
Migration pattern: Resident species.
保护状况
Population trend: stable.
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Channel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos vitellinus
Large toucan, widespread across South American lowlands. Mostly black with a dark bill (although some populations have a yellow ridge on top of the bill). Significant plumage variation across range: throat color varies from white to orange; bare skin around eye varies from blue to red. In the western part of its range, appearance is very similar to White-throated Toucan, but note voice: a grating croak, not a clear yelp. Singles, pairs, or small flocks are found in the forest canopy, often around fruiting trees. Named for the groove along the upper part of the bill, which is difficult to see in the field.
Yucatan Vireo
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Large, big-billed vireo of eastern Yucatan Peninsula, offshore islands, and Grand Cayman. Forages low to high in tropical woodland, thickets, and overgrown clearings; like many vireos, often found eating berries. Rather drab but distinctive, with olive-gray upperparts, dingy underparts, and a broad pale eyebrow set off by a thick black eyestripe thickest forward of eyes.
Gray-winged Trumpeter
Psophia crepitans
Chicken-sized and oddly proportioned terrestrial bird of tall rainforest that is common where not hunted. Peculiar shape, behavior, and tendency to occur in large groups render this species difficult to mistake for any other. Groups walk through forest, flicking wings nervously while feeding on insects, small vertebrates, and fallen fruit. Often seen crossing roads through forested regions. Can be extremely noisy, especially when startled; bizarre calls include a variety of grunts, wails, and screams.
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