Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested GrebeGreat Crested GrebeGreat Crested GrebeGreat Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Plitvice Lakes National Park
12 Verified sightings at Plitvice Lakes National Park From 2019 to 2026
11,930 Verified sightings across all 49 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Great Crested Grebe

The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship display that involves synchronised dances and displays.

The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Colymbus cristatus. It is now the type species of the genus Podiceps that was erected by the English naturalist John Latham in 1787. The type locality is Sweden. The scientific name comes from Latin: the genus name Podiceps is from podicis, "vent" and pes, "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body; the specific name, cristatus, means "crested".

Three subspecies are currently accepted: The great crested grebe is the largest species of grebe in the Old World, though some larger species occur in the Americas. They measure 46–51 cm (18–20 in) long with a 59–73 cm (23–29 in) wingspan and weigh 0.9 to 1.5 kg (2.0 to 3.3 lb). It is an excellent swimmer... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Plitvice Lakes National Park

Eared Grebe

Eared Grebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Podiceps nigricollis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Red-necked Grebe
LC

Red-necked Grebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Podiceps grisegena

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Little Grebe
LC

Little Grebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~50%
2 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~30%
3 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
4 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
5 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
6 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
7 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
8 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
9 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
10 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
11 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
12 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
13 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
14 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
15 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
16 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
17 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
18 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
19 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
20 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
21 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
<5%
22 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
23 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
24 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
<5%
25 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
26 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
27 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
28 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
29 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
30 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
31 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
32 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
33 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
34 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
Insufficient data
35 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
36 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
37 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
38 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
39 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data
40 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
41 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
42 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
43 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
44 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
45 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
46 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
47 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
48 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Insufficient data
49 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Great Crested Grebe in Plitvice Lakes National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Crested Grebe sighting in Plitvice Lakes National Park, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Great Crested Grebe in Plitvice Lakes National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Great Crested Grebe in Plitvice Lakes National Park in our monthly data.

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