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This bird nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Do you know what it is?

British Birds - Ducks, Swans and Grebes

Meet Britain’s waterbirds, from dabbling ducks to elegant swans and stealthy grebes. This quiz helps you spot features, habitats, and behaviours without getting your feet wet.

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Fascinating Fact:

Great crested grebes are famous for their spring courtship display, where a pair can rise up together “chest-to-chest” after bringing up water weed.

In Specialist Nature, ducks, swans and grebes are brilliant birds to compare because they share watery habitats but live in different ways. Ducks often feed by dabbling or diving, swans use long necks to reach plants, and grebes are strong divers with legs set far back for swimming. Noticing bill shape, body size, neck length, and feeding style will help you identify what you are watching on a pond, reservoir, river, or estuary.

Key Terms

Dabbling: Feeding in shallow water by tipping forward or skimming the surface, rather than fully diving.
Diving bird: A bird that swims underwater to catch food, often staying low in the water when it surfaces.
Wetland: A place where land is often covered by water, such as marshes, reedbeds, lakesides, and estuaries.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the difference between a duck, a swan and a grebe?

Ducks are usually smaller and feed by dabbling or diving, swans are large long-necked grazers on water plants, and grebes are diving specialists with legs set far back for swimming.

How can I tell a grebe from a duck on a lake?

Grebes often sit lower in the water, have a more pointed bill, and dive smoothly with little splash. Many ducks paddle higher and may tip up to feed rather than disappearing underwater.

Where do ducks and swans nest in the UK?

Ducks and swans commonly nest near water in thick vegetation like reeds, bankside plants, or islands. Some ducks also use tree holes or quiet corners of farmland close to ponds and ditches.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Unknown

Great Crested Grebe

Velvet Scoter

Red-necked Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Group: Grebes
Binomial: Podiceps grisegena
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Status: Winter Visitor, Has Bred
Fewer than 20 individuals spend the summer in the UK each year.
Its small wing area means that it is unable to take off from land and needs a lengthy run across water to gain the speed needed for take-off.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://www.marekszczepanek.pl/

Black-necked Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Whooper Swan

Mute Swan

Group: Grebes
Binomial: Podiceps nigricollis
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
It is essentially flightless for most of the year (9 to 10 months).
This bird avoids flying at all costs and reserves long distance flight exclusively for migration.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Maga-Chan

Little Grebe

Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan)

Red-necked Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Group: Ducks, Geese and Swans
Binomial: Cygnus columbianus
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Winter Visitor
When migrating these birds can fly at altitudes of 8 km (nearly 27,000 ft).
In the breeding season, they tend to be aggressive to many animals who pass by; outside the breeding season they are rather gregarious birds.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Unknown

Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan)

Black-necked Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Group: Grebes
Binomial: Podiceps auritus
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
The male's call is an odd, striking series of loud croaks and chattering notes followed by prolonged shrieks.
Folk names of this bird include devil-diver, hell-diver and water witch.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Sanchezn

Mute Swan

Velvet Scoter

Black-necked Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Group: Ducks, Geese and Swans
Binomial: Cygnus olor
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
The birds in the moat at the Bishops Palace at Wells Cathedral in Wells, Somerset have for centuries been trained to ring bells via strings attached to them to beg for food. Two swans are still able to ring for lunch.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Pete Mella

Whooper Swan

Great Crested Grebe

Mute Swan

Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan)

Group: Ducks, Geese and Swans
Binomial: Cygnus cygnus
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Winter Visitor
These birds require large areas of water to live in, especially when they are still growing, because their body weight cannot be supported by their legs for extended periods of time.
They have a deep honking call.

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Benutzer:BS Thurner Hof

Little Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Smew

Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan)

Group: Grebes
Binomial: Tachybaptus ruficollis
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
Often appears to have a 'fluffy' rear end.
It nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of John Anderson

Black-necked Grebe

Mute Swan

Velvet Scoter

Great Crested Grebe

Group: Ducks, Geese and Swans
Binomial: Melanitta fusca
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Winter Visitor
It forms large flocks on coastal waters.
These are tightly packed and the birds tend to take off together.
The lined nest is built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Thermos

Smew

Red-necked Grebe

Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan)

Little Grebe

Group: Ducks, Geese and Swans
Binomial: Mergellus albellus
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Winter Visitor
Sometimes birds move here from Holland and Denmark to escape freezing weather.
The drake, with its 'cracked ice' appearance, is unmistakable and looks very black-and-white in flight.

10 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/

Whooper Swan

Mute Swan

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Group: Grebes
Binomial: Podiceps cristatus
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
They have an elaborate courtship display in which they rise out of the water and shake their heads.
The very young often ride on their parents' backs.

Author: Sarah Garratty

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