Black-necked Grebe is a rare breeding species in Britain, its small population largely restricted to central and eastern England. During the winter months the species may be found more widely on both inland and coastal sites.
Breeding Black-necked Grebes appear to favour shallow eutrophic lakes and pools with an abundance of submerged and floating vegetation. Favoured sites are typically quiet and undisturbed, and the species can be secretive when breeding.
The numbers of wintering Black-necked Grebes suggests that our breeding population is joined by individuals from elsewhere during the winter months.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Black-necked Grebe
From Great Crested and Red-necked to Slavonian and Black-necked, separating grebes in winter plumage can be challenging. This identification video from the BTO discusses all the features to help identify them with confidence.
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Black-necked Grebe, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Begging call
Call
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The first UK breeding record of Black-necked Grebe was in 1904, and breeding numbers remaining very low for most of the twentieth century (Martin & Smith 2007). The population trend has been stable over the 25 years to 2019 (Eaton et al. 2021), having risen between the 1970s and the early 1990s (Martin & Smith 2007). The species has a scattered and localised breeding population in the UK and is monitored by the RBBP with a five-year mean of 53 breeding pairs over the period 2015–2019, almost all in England (Eaton et al. 2021).
Black-necked Grebes prefers sheltered coastal waters and large open reservoirs in winter. In winter they most abundant around the Thames Estuary and along the south coast of England. They are very scarce breeders in the UK, with most pairs in central and eastern England.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Black-necked Grebes are present year-round though always scarce, and slightly more likely to be seen in winter.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Encountered in:
Winter (Nov-Feb); Spring (Mar-Apr); Summer (May-Jul); Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Black-necked Grebe, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
The increases in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s are believed to be related to a general increase across north-west Europe (Martin & Smith 2007). However, the reasons for the increases are unclear.
BLNGR 
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