Tachybaptus ruficollis -- (Pallas, 1764) ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PODICIPEDIFORMES -- PODICIPEDIDAE Common names: Little Grebe; Grèbe castagneux European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom Vagrant: Faroe Islands (to DK); Canary Is. (to ES); Gibraltar (to UK) Population The European population is estimated at 129,000-208,000 pairs, which equates to 258,000-417,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 94,300-143,000 pairs, which equates to 189,000-286,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe and the EU27 the population size trend is unknown. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology The species inhabits a wide range of small and shallow wetlands (Llimona et al. 2014) usually less than 1 m deep (Fjeldsa 2004) with rich vegetation (floating, submerged and emergent) and high densities of aquatic invertebrates, generally avoiding waters with large predatory fish (Konter 2001). Suitable habitats include small lakes, ponds, the sheltered bays and vegetated shores of larger freshwater and reservoirs, canals (Llimona et al. 2014), slow-flowing rivers (Konter 2001), flood-plain oxbows, coastal brackish lagoons, alkaline or saline lakes, rice-fields (Brown et al. 1982), seasonally inundated areas, swamps, sewage lagoons (Fjeldsa 2004) and gravel pits (Santoul and Mastrorillo 2004). Outside of the breeding season it is common on more open waters and is occasionally observed along the coast in estuaries or sheltered bays protected from strong wave action (Llimona et al. 2014) and when moulting the species requires rich feeding areas (Fjeldsa 2004).

The timing of breeding varies geographically and depends on the growth of emergent vegetation and water- levels (Llimona et al. 2014). In Europe, egg-laying begins in late February (Snow and Perrins 1998). The nest is a floating platform of aquatic plant matter (Llimona et al. 2014) anchored to emergent vegetation (Fjeldsa 2004), submerged branches or bushes close to the edge of shallow wetlands (Brown et al. 1982). Its diet consists predominantly of adult and larval insects, especially mayflies, stoneflies, water bugs, beetles, flies, caddisflies and dragonflies, as well as molluscs, crustaceans, adult and juvenile amphibians and occasionally small fish (up to 11 cm) (Llimona et al. 2014) during the winter (Konter 2001). This species is sedentary, locally dispersive or fully migratory depending on the winter temperatures of its breeding grounds (Llimona et al. 2014). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable non-breeding Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable breeding Marine Neritic - Estuaries suitable breeding Marine Neritic - Estuaries suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) major breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) major non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) major non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes major breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes major non-breeding Altitude max. 1000 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of this virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006). In Europe numbers often fluctuate, mainly as a result of winter conditions, such as the marked decline in Britain after the cold winter of 1962–1963, and similarly in the Netherlands after that of 1984–1985. The species suffers from the transformation of wetlands by destruction, pollution or recreational use but this is often offset by construction of man-made ponds, reservoirs and dams, leading to expansion of species in many areas (Llimona et al. 2014). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Climate change & Temperature Timing Scope Severity Impact severe weather extremes Past, Likely to Majority (50-90%) Causing/Could Past Impact Return cause fluctuations Stresses Species mortality Human intrusions & Recreational Timing Scope Severity Impact disturbance activities Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact Stresses Species disturbance Invasive and other Avian Influenza Timing Scope Severity Impact problematic Virus (H subtype) Past, Likely to Majority (50-90%) Rapid Declines Past Impact species, genes & Return diseases Stresses Species mortality Natural system Abstraction of Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications ground water Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact (unknown use) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Pollution Agricultural & Timing Scope Severity Impact forestry effluents Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact (nutrient loads) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Bern Convention Appendix II. The species was included in the Grebes Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published in 1997 (O'Donnel and Fjeldsa 1997). In France it was found that the presence of aquatic macrophytes was the most important factor in attracting the species to new artificial habitats (such as gravel pits) (Santoul and Mastrorillo 2004).

Conservation Actions Proposed Monitoring and protection should be introduced to ensure the destruction of wetland habitats is mitigated and where possible prevented. Bibliography Brown, L.H., Urban, E.K. and Newman, K. 1982. The birds of Africa Vol I. Academic Press, London. Fjeldså, J. 2004. The grebes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. Konter, A. 2001. Grebes of our world. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Llimona, F., del Hoyo, J., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Garcia, E.F.J. and Kirwan, G.M. 2014. Little Grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/ node/52477 on 4 March 2015). Melville, D.S. and Shortridge, K.F. 2006. Migratory waterbirds and avian influenza in the East Asian- Australasian Flyway with particular reference to the 2003-2004 H5N1 outbreak. In: Boere, G., Galbraith, C. and Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 432-438. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK. O’Donnel, C. and Fjeldsa, J. (compilers) 1997. Grebes - Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/ SSC Grebe Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. vii + 59 pp Santoul, F. and Mastrorillo, S. 2004. Gravel pits as new wetlands for the little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis. Vie et Milieu 54(1): 31-36. Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Map (see overleaf)