Red necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena. It is seen in various wetlands and coasts of Northern Europe, North America and Asia. It resembles the grebe in size and shape. Its head is more rounded, its neck is thicker and shorter. Its beak is black, the base of the beak is yellow, a faint yellow spreads from the lower beak of the young to the tip, so yellow is a defining feature at all ages. In all its clothing, it is distinguished from the grebe by its black crest extending down to the eye, its ash-colored neck and contrasting light gray cheeks. It has been determined that red-necked grebes have plenty of feathers in their stomachs. Although the reason for swallowing feathers is not known for sure, it is thought that they do this behavior to protect their lower digestive system from hard substances. They attract attention with their loud calls, especially during the breeding season, in order to find their mates and to announce their territorial boundaries to the environment. While calling, they swim by extending their necks upwards by fluffing up their nape feathers and back feathers. They feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects and their larvae, and rarely on fish fry.
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