Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPodicipediformes (Grebes)
FamilyPodicipedidae (Grebes)
GenusTachybaptus (Small Grebes)
SpeciesTachybaptus ruficollis (Little Grebe)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Sepilok

1 Verified sightings at Sepilok From 2019 to 2026

19,070 Verified sightings across all 106 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Little Grebe

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as the 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 Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".

At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European, Asian, and African member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range. The little grebe was formally described in a sales catalogue by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 under the binomial name Colymbus ruficollis. The type locality is the Netherlands. The specific epithet is Modern Latin meaning "red-necked", from Latin rufus meaning "red", "ruddy" or "rufous" and Modern Latin -collis meaning "-necked". The little grebe is now one of five species placed in the genus Tachybaptus that was introduced in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin.

Ten subspecies are currently accepted, four widespread, and six with restricted ranges; they are separated principally by size, eye colour, which varies... Wikipedia →

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	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~60%
2	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	~60%
3	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~50%
4	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
5	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~40%
6	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
7	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
8	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
9	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
10	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~30%
11	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
12	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	~30%
13	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~30%
14	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
15	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
16	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
17	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
18	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
19	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
20	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~20%
21	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
22	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
23	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
24	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
25	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
26	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
27	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
28	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
29	Mudumalai National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
30	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
31	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
32	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
33	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
34	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
35	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
36	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
37	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
38	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
39	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
40	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
41	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~10%
42	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
43	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
44	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
45	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
46	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
47	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	<5%
48	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
49	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
50	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
51	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
52	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
53	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	<5%
54	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
55	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
56	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
57	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
58	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
59	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	<5%
60	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
61	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
62	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	<5%
63	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
64	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
65	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
66	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
67	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
68	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
69	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
70	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
71	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
72	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	<5%
73	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
74	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
75	Gunung Leuser National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
76	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
77	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	Insufficient data
78	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
79	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	Insufficient data
80	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
81	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
82	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
83	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
84	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
85	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
86	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
87	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
88	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
89	Cuc Phuong National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	Insufficient data
90	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
91	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
92	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
93	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	Insufficient data
94	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
95	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
96	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
97	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
98	Khao Luang National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
99	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
100	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	Insufficient data
101	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
102	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
103	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
104	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
105	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
106	Sepilok	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data

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