Home » , , » New Zealand Grebe

New Zealand Grebe

14:00:00  , ,  
Poliocephalus rufopectus
The New Zealand Grebe, or Weweia, is a small, dark waterbird found only on it's namesake islands.

These Grebe are wonderful swimmers, and are very well adapted to the water. They have movable webbed toes that are great for paddling, along with slim necks that allow them to dive underwater efficiently and find food. They feed on aquatic invertebrates, and can stay underwater for about half a minute.

New Zealand Grebes live near freshwater lakes, and do their nesting year round beside them. 2-3 eggs are laid at the time, and the offspring are precocial. After 2 months the chicks are completely independent from their parents.

Wierdly, the New Zealand Grebes went extinct from the South Island during the 1960s, and no one really knows why. Their population is currently stable, and the birds are protected. Monitoring and other measures are being taken to make sure the mysterious disappearance 50 years ago does not repeat itself.
IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : New Zealand
Size : Length up to 28in (70cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Podicipediformes
Family : Podicipedidae -- Genus : Poliocephalus-- Species : P. rufopectus
Image :  Zoologist.ru

Related Posts:

  • BonoboPan paniscusHuman readers, meet one of your closest biological relatives-- the Bonobo! Bonobos and Chimpanzees share more than 98% of their DNA with humans. In fact-- we are so closely related to them that there are some who … Read More
  • Common DuikerSylvicapra grimmiaThe Common Duiker is a species of antelope native to Africa. They are sometimes also referred to as Grey Duikers because of their grey-brown coats.Common Duikers are small, standing less than 2ft tall at the… Read More
  • AffenpinscherThe Affenpinscher is a breed of dag that dates back more than 400 years. It's name comes from the German word for "monkey," probably because they have very primate-like faces.Like many breeds, modern Affenpinschers look diffe… Read More
  • Pygmy Mouse LemurMicrocebus myoxinusAmazingly, at only 5in long and a weight of less than 2oz, the Pygmy Mouse Lemur is NOT the smallest Lemur. Nope, just number two! (The true honor goes to Madame Berthe's Lemur). But hey, second place isn't… Read More
  • Central American Snapping TurtleChelydra rossignoniiUntil recently (about 1996), everyone thought that the Central American Snapping Turtle, and its cousin the South American Snapping Turtle were just subspecies of the more widespread and well-known Common … Read More