Photo: Cláudio Dias Timm from Rio Grande do Sul / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Grebe
Podiceps major
Great Grebe (Podiceps major) — Grebes, Loons & Flamingos of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Grebe (Podiceps major) is a member of the Podicipedidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 1.6 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Podicipediformes
- Family Podicipedidae Grebes
- Genus Podiceps
- Species major
Where it lives
Coastal western Peru; Paraguay and southeastern Brazil to southern Chile and Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.6 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Podicipedidae
- Order
- Podicipediformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Grebe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Great Grebe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Great Grebe (Podiceps major) is a species of bird in the Podicipedidae family, part of the order Podicipediformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA coastal w Peru; Paraguay and se Brazil to s Chile and Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.6 kg, with a wing length of about 18.1 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Grebe?
The Great Grebe is a very large bird that weighs around 1.6 kg.
Where does the Great Grebe live?
The Great Grebe is found across South America with a range covering SA coastal w Peru; Paraguay and se Brazil to s Chile and Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great Grebe belong to?
The Great Grebe (Podiceps major) belongs to the Podicipedidae family, in the order Podicipediformes.
What does the Great Grebe eat?
The Great Grebe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Great Grebe migrate?
The Great Grebe is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Great Grebe endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Grebe make?
1 real field recording of the Great Grebe — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Grebe's range?
The Great Grebe has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Podicipedidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Extinct
Least Concern
More in Grebes, Loons & Flamingos
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern