How do you identify a Madagascar Grebe?

The Madagascar grebe is around 25 cm long. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Madagascar Grebe?

The Madagascar Grebe is a medium sized bird weighing about 184 g.

Where can you see a Madagascar Grebe?

The Madagascar Grebe is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Madagascar Grebe?

The Madagascar Grebe is most easily confused with the Least Grebe, the Australasian Grebe and the Little Grebe.

Is the Madagascar Grebe endangered?

The Madagascar Grebe is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Madagascar Grebe

Tachybaptus pelzelnii

Grebes · Podicipediformes · Rare

The Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii) is a rare greb found only in Madagascar, weighing about 184 g. The Madagascar grebe is a grebe found only in western and central Madagascar.

EndangeredRareEndemicEats fishwetlandplatform nest184 g

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 1 — Photo: Sheelagh Halsey · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 2 — Photo: Demian Hiß · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 3 — Photo: Paul Prior · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 4 — Photo: Nick Block · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 5 — Photo: Julien Renoult · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 6 — Photo: Julien Renoult · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 7 — Photo: paul_prior · CC BY 4.0

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 8 — Photo: terathopius · CC BY 4.0

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 9 — Photo: terathopius · CC BY 4.0

Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii), photo 10 — Photo: Julien Renoult · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Madagascar Grebe

The Madagascar grebe is a grebe found only in western and central Madagascar. The binomial name commemorates the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln. It is classified as endangered by the IUCN, with a population of less than 5,000. It is threatened by habitat loss, predation by carnivorous fish, and competition with introduced species.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The Madagascar grebe is around 25 cm long. It can be identified in its breeding plumage, consisting of a blackish cap and line down the neck, often reddish rear ear-coverts and sides of the neck, pale grey cheeks, throat and foreneck. Some individuals have a narrow whitish line under the eye between the cap and ear-coverts.

Where it lives

Madagascar

When to see it

Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Madagascar Grebe?: The Madagascar grebe is around 25 cm long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Madagascar Grebe?: The Madagascar Grebe is a medium sized bird weighing about 184 g.
Where can you see a Madagascar Grebe?: The Madagascar Grebe is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Madagascar Grebe?: The Madagascar Grebe is most easily confused with the Least Grebe, the Australasian Grebe and the Little Grebe.
Is the Madagascar Grebe endangered?: The Madagascar Grebe is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Madagascar Grebe for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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