Podiceps

Podiceps is a genus of birds in the grebe family.

It has representatives breeding in Europe, Asia, North and South America. Most northern hemisphere species migrate in winter to the coast or warmer climates.

They breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, nesting on the water's edge, since their legs are set too far back for easy walking. Usually two eggs are laid, and the striped young may be carried on the adult's back.

All the genus are excellent swimmers and divers, and pursue their fish prey underwater.

Adults have striking breeding plumage, with no difference between the sexes. In winter, the plumage is subdued whites and greys.

Systematics
The Black-necked, Colombian, Silvery and Junin Grebes are very closely related and were formerly sometimes separated as the genus Dyas. The Great Grebe has also sometimes been separated as the sole member of the genus Podicephorus.


 * Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena
 * Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus
 * Horned Grebe or Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus
 * Black-necked Grebe or Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis
 * Colombian Grebe, Podiceps andinus - extinct (1977)
 * Great Grebe, Podiceps major 
 * Silvery Grebe, Podiceps occipitalis 
 * Junin Grebe, Podiceps taczanowskii 
 * Hooded Grebe, Podiceps gallardoi

One of the very oldest fossil grebes known to date actually belongs to this genus. Altogether - as in all grebes - the fossil record leaves much to be desired, being quite complete for the last 5 million years before present or so, but very incomplete before the Pliocene.

Fossil species of Podiceps are:
 * Podiceps oligocaenus (John Day Late Oligocene/Early Miocene)
 * Podiceps cf. auritus (Early Pliocene of Florida, USA) - formerly P. pisanus, P. howardae and Pliodytes lanquisti
 * Podiceps subparvus (Middle Pliocene of California, USA)
 * Podiceps discors (Late Pliocene of WC USA)
 * Podiceps? sp. (Late Pliocene of WC USA) - see Murray (1967)
 * Podiceps sp. (Early Pleistocene of Dursunlu, Turkey) - see Louchart et al. (1998)
 * Podiceps dixi (Late Pleistocene)
 * Podiceps parvus (Late Pleistocene of W North America)

Among the material assigned to P. parvus were bones of another species, which may or may not belong into this genus (Murray 1967).