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The little grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Neo-Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".
At in length it is the smallest member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
| Eye dark brown; secondaries with no or minimal white. |
| Eye orange to yellow; bill short; secondaries with extensive white. |
| Eye dark brown; bill short; secondaries with extensive white. |
| Eye reddish brown; secondaries with extensive white. |
| Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with no or minimal white. |
| Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with white. |
| Eye pale yellow to white; bill long; secondaries with white. |
Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black in adulthood.
In winter, its size, buff Feather, with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The little grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated weet-weet-weet or wee-wee-wee which sounds like a horse whinnying.
Like all grebes, it nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually four to seven eggs are laid. When the adult bird leaves the nest it usually takes care to cover the eggs with weeds. This makes it less likely to be detected by predators. The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults. In India, the species breeds during the rainy season.
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