English: Black-necked Grebe (Eared Grebe)
Russian: Черношейная поганка
German: Schwarzhalstaucher
French: Grebe a cou noir
Mongolian: Халтар шунгуур
Japanese:ハジロカイツブリ(Hajiro-kaitsuburi)

Body length: 28-34cm
Wing span: 41-60cm

Passage migrant
Breeding season: May August

Egg number: 3-4 (occasionally 5)
Egg color: Smooth and white.
Brood: 1 per year

Global Status: Least concern
Regional status: Least concern

Food: Aquatic invertebrates, fishes and plant matter.

Habitat: Breeds, usually in small colonies, on shallow ponds and lakes with much emergent vegetation, frequently associated with Black-headed Gulls or Black Terns; prefers access to rather large patches of open water. Winters on coasted waters, lakes, reservoirs in W and S Europe.

Identification: Slightly smaller than Slavonian Grebe, and more elegant with thinner neck. Dumpy body and usually prominent ‘powder-puff’ rear end give shape recalling Little Grebe; steep forehead, with crown rounded or peaking over eye; bill rather tiny, uptilted to sharp point (shape obvious only at close range). In flight, white on secondaries extends to inner primaries, and lacks white shoulder patch.

Adult summer: Note specially drooping, thin fan of yellowish-white cheek feathers.  

Adult winter: Head pattern less sharply contrasting black and white than Slavonian (but beware distance or bright light) because of grey downward bulge on rear ear-coverts; prominent whitish ‘hook-back’ up sides of nape.

Caution: Juvenile little Grebe can show similar head pattern, but coloration dark brown/buff (not black/grey/white); also eye black, and different bill shape.