Back to families© Text, layout and database rights belong to the Trust for Avian Systematics 2021.

PODICIPEDIDAE - Grebes1 (6:22)
PODILYMBUS Lesson, 1831 M - Podiceps carolinensis Latham, 1790; type by monotypy = Colymbus podiceps Linnaeus, 1758  
Podilymbus podiceps2 Pied-billed Grebe
podiceps (Linnaeus, 1758) iC Canada to C Panama >> C USA, Central America and West Indies
antillarum Bangs, 1913 iGreater and Lesser Antilles
antarcticus (Lesson, 1842) vE Panama, Colombia and Venezuela to SC Chile and SC Argentina
Podilymbus gigas   Griscom, 1929 Atitlan Grebe
iLake Atitlán (SW Guatemala)
TACHYBAPTUS Reichenbach, 1853 M - Colymbus minor J.F. Gmelin, 1789; type by original designation = Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764  
Tachybaptus rufolavatus   (Delacour, 1932) Alaotra Grebe
vLake Alaotra (Madagascar)
Tachybaptus ruficollis3 Little Grebe
ruficollis (Pallas, 1764) vEurope to Ural Mts. and N Caucasus, NW Africa
iraquensis (Ticehurst, 1923) vIraq, SW Iran
capensis (Salvadori, 1884) vSenegal to Ethiopia and South Africa, Madagascar, Comoros
albescens (Blanford, 1877)4 Caucasus region east to Iran, C Asia as far as Tien Shan Mts., S Asia to Sri Lanka, Myanmar (?) >> mainland SE Asia to C Thai-Malay Pen. [Blanford, 1877 #13969]
poggei (Reichenow, 1902) iLadakh to C and NE China and Japan, south to E China, E continental SE Asia and Thai-Malay Pen.
philippensis (Bonnaterre, 1791) vTaiwan, Philippines (except Mindanao)
cotabato (Rand, 1948) iMindanao (Philippines)
tricolor (G.R. Gray, 1861) iJava, Bali, Sulawesi, N Moluccas, Misool, NW and N New Guinea (east to Astrolabe Bay), Admiralty Is. (Bismarck Arch.)
collaris (Mayr, 1945) vMontane NE New Guinea (mountains of Huon Pen.), Bismarck Arch. (Long I., Umboi, New Britain, New Ireland, Witu Is.), N Solomons (Bougainville)
vulcanorum (Rensch, 1929)5 W and C Lesser Sundas (Lombok to Timor), S Moluccas (south to Kai Is.)
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Australasian Grebe
javanicus (Mayr, 1943)6 vJava
fumosus (Mayr, 1943) vTalaud Is., Sangir Is.
incola (Mayr, 1943) iLowland N and NE New Guinea (N coast and R. Sepik-R. Ramu drainage east to R. Watut)
novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826)7 iMontane WC and lowland SC New Guinea (Maoke Mts.; Trans-Fly region), Australia (except inland sand deserts), Tasmania, New Zealand (North Island, N South Island)
leucosternos (Mayr, 1931) iN and C Vanuatu (south to Efaté), New Caledonia
rennellianus (Mayr, 1943) αvRennell (S Solomons)
Tachybaptus pelzelnii   (Hartlaub, 1861) Madagascar Grebe
iMadagascar
Tachybaptus dominicus8 Least Grebe
brachypterus (Chapman, 1899) vS USA (S Texas) and W Mexico (Sinaloa) to Panama
bangsi (van Rossem & Hachisuka, 1937) iNW Mexico (S Baja California)
dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) vBahamas, Greater Antilles, Virgin Is., Isla de Cozumel
brachyrhynchus (Chapman, 1899) vSouth America (east of the Andes) south to Uruguay and NC Argentina
eisenmanni R.W. Storer & Getty, 1985 iW Ecuador (Esmeraldas) to NW Peru (Lambayeque) [Storer, 1985 #3749]
ROLLANDIA Bonaparte, 1856 F - Rollandia leucotis Bonaparte, 1856; type by monotypy and virtual tautonymy = Podiceps rolland Quoy & Gaimard, 1824  
Rollandia rolland White-tufted Grebe
1 morrisoni (Simmons, 1962) iLake Junín (Andes of C Peru)
1 chilensis (Lesson, 1828)9 vAndes from C Peru (Ancash) to N Argentina (Catamarca) and lowlands of Argentina and Chile >> SE Brazil and Paraguay
2 rolland (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) iFalkland Is.
Rollandia microptera   (Gould, 1868) Titicaca Grebe
vAltiplano of the Andes of SE Peru (Puno) and W Bolivia (La Paz, Oruro)
POLIOCEPHALUS Selby, 1840 M - Podiceps nestor Gould, 1836; type by monotypy and tautonymy = Podiceps poliocephalus Jardine & Selby, 1827  
Poliocephalus poliocephalus   (Jardine & Selby, 1827) Hoary-headed Grebe
vAustralia (except inland sand deserts), Tasmania
Poliocephalus rufopectus   (G.R. Gray, 1843) New Zealand Grebe
iNorth Island, formerly South Island (New Zealand)
AECHMOPHORUS Coues, 1862 M - Podiceps occidentalis Lawrence, 1858; type by original designation  
Aechmophorus occidentalis Western Grebe
occidentalis (Lawrence, 1858) vSW and SC Canada, W and NC USA >> coasts of W USA and NW Mexico (Baja California to Sinaloa)
ephemeralis Dickerman, 1986 vSC and WC Mexico (Nayarit and Jalisco to Puebla) [Dickerman, 1986 #1336]
Aechmophorus clarkii 10  (Lawrence, 1858) Clark's Grebe
W USA (E Oregon to Wyoming south to California and New Mexico) >> coasts of W USA and NW Mexico (Baja California); N and C Mexico (N Chihuahua to N Guerrero and Puebla)
PODICEPS Latham, 1787 M - Colymbus cristatus Linnaeus, 1758; type by subsequent designation (G.R. Gray, 1840, A List of the Genera of Birds, p. 76).  11
Podiceps major12 Great Grebe
major (Boddaert, 1783) vParaguay, SE Brazil to S Argentina and C Chile; coastal Peru (Piura to Arequipa)
navasi Manghi, 198413 iS Chile (north to Bíobío) and adjacent W Argentina [Manghi, 1984 #2474]
Podiceps grisegena Red-necked Grebe
grisegena (Boddaert, 1783) iN and C Europe to SW Siberia and C Asia >> N Africa, W and S Europe, SW Asia to NW India
holbollii Reinhardt, 185414,15 αδiE Siberia (east from Amur and Lena basins), N Japan (Hokkaido), Alaska, W and C Canada and N USA (Washington to Minnesota) >> coasts of Japan, Korea, E China, W and E North America
Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe
cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) vN Africa, Europe to Russian Far East, N Japan, SW and C Asia, N India, Xizang and NE China
infuscatus Salvadori, 1884 vEthiopia, E and S Africa
australis Gould, 184416 vAustralia (mostly south of 20 degrees S), Tasmania, New Zealand (South Island)
Podiceps auritus Slavonian Grebe/Horned Grebe
auritus (Linnaeus, 1758) vIceland and N Europe to E Siberia and W Mongolia >> NW Europe, E Mediterranean to C Asia and NW China, coastal E Asia
cornutus (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) vC Alaska, W and C Canada, NW and NC USA >> coasts of W and E North America (south to California, Texas and Florida)
Podiceps nigricollis Black-necked Grebe/Eared Grebe
nigricollis C.L. Brehm, 183117 vEurope to C Siberia and C Asia to Pakistan, and Russian Far East and extreme NE China >> Europe and SW Asia to NW India, and Japan to E China
gurneyi (Roberts, 1919) iEthiopia to N Tanzania; Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
californicus Heermann, 1854 vSW and SC Canada, W and C USA; SC Mexico (Jalisco to Puebla) >> S USA, Mexico and Guatemala
Podiceps andinus 18  (Meyer de Schauensee, 1959) Colombian Grebe
vAndes of NC Colombia (Boyacá and Cundinamarca)
Podiceps occipitalis19 Silvery Grebe
juninensis von Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 189420 vAndes from Colombia to N Chile (Antofagasta) and NW Argentina (Catamarca)
occipitalis Garnot, 1826 vC Chile (Atacama) and C Argentina (Río Negro) south to Tierra del Fuego
Podiceps taczanowskii   von Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1894 Junin Grebe
iLake Junín (Andes of C Peru)
Podiceps gallardoi   Rumboll, 1974 Hooded Grebe
iSW Argentina (W Santa Cruz) >> SE Argentina (R. Coyle and R. Gallegos estuaries in SE Santa Cruz)
1 For validation of family name see I.C.Z.N. (1971) [I.C.Z.N., 1971 #9648].
2 Subspecies defined largely on basis of measurements (Muller & Martin 1999) [Muller, 1999 #13091] and thus diagnosability uncertain.
3 Throat patterns and eye colour, red or yellow, are debated characteristics; see Fjeldså (2004) [Fjeldså, 2004 #12289], Mees (2006) [Mees, 2006 #7094] and Mlíkovsky (2010) [Mlíkovsky, 2010 #12719]. Thus, any changes in species limits are deferred.
4 For recognition see Mlíkovsky (2010) [Mlíkovsky, 2010 #12719].
5 For recognition see Mees (2006) [Mees, 2006 #7094].
6 For submergence in the nominate form, presumably along with incola and perhaps fumosus, see Mees (2006) [Mees, 2006 #7094] but these two forms not mentioned.
7 Includes timorensis; see White & Bruce (1986) [White, 1986 #4194].
8 For transfer from Podiceps, see Storer (1976) [Storer, 1976 #13984]. Subspecies classification follows Storer & Getty (1985) [Storer, 1985 #3749]. For the suggested resurrection of the genus Limnodytes see Ksepka et al. (2013) [Ksepka, 2013 #15177].
9 May merit treatment as a separate species, including morrisoni; see Fjeldså & Krabbe (1990) [Fjeldså, 1990 #1570] and Fjeldså (2004) [Fjeldså, 2004 #12289].
10 For treatment as a separate species from A. occidentalis see Ratti (1979) [Ratti, 1979 #13749] and Nuechterlein (1981) [Nuechterlein, 1981 #13750]. Includes transitionalis Dickerman, 1986 [Dickerman, 1986 #1336]; see Appendix 2.2.
11 For validation of this generic name, see I.C.Z.N. (1956) [I.C.Z.N., 1956 #9621].
12 Bochenski (1994) [Bochenski, 1994 #397] named a new genus, Podicephorus, in recognition of several distinctive morphological and behavioural characters of this species, as also noted by Storer (1962, 1979, 1996) [Storer, 1962 #13746] [Storer, 1979 #3748] [Storer, 1996 #13748].
13 The name Podiceps leucopterus P. P. King, 1828, may belong to this taxon, but is apparently a nomen oblitum; see Fjeldså (2004) [Fjeldså, 2004 #12289].
14 Treated as a separate species from P. grisegena by Bochenski (1994) [Bochenski, 1994 #397] but see Storer (1996) [Storer, 1996 #13748].
15 Original spelling holböllii. Not based on a German word; required spelling used here.
16 For assignment here of New Zealand birds see McAllan (2004) [McAllan, 2004 #2585] and Gill et al. (2010) [Gill, 2010 #12348].
17 Brehm's name became official with the suppression of the prior name caspicus for the purpose of priority; see Opinion 406 (I.C.Z.N. 1956) [I.C.Z.N., 1956 #9626].
18 For treatment as a separate species from P. nigricollis see Fjeldså (1982) [Fjeldså, 1982 #1564].
19 Forms a superspecies with P. nigricollis and P. andinus; see Storer (1979) [Storer, 1979 #3748].
20 May merit treatment as a separate species (Fjeldså & Krabbe 1990) [Fjeldså, 1990 #1570].
Top