Silvery Grebe
Inca Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis )
The Inca Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis ) is a species of the family of grebes. Its distribution is restricted to the south of South America and the Falkland Islands. It is a relatively small, predominantly gray feathered grebes of the genus Podiceps. There are two subspecies.
The scientific description was in 1826 by the French physician and naturalist Prosper Garnot using the bellows of an end of the year 1822 in the east of the Falkland Islands killed the individual.
Appearance
The Inca diver reaches a height from 25 to 28.5 inches. About 17 centimeters is accounted for by the body. The wing length is 12,1 to 13,5 centimeters. The weight varies 340-397 grams. Males tend to be slightly larger than females.
The Inca diver is generally rather short neck with a very small, conical shaped beak. The body plumage is mainly light slate gray. The springs are relatively long, which gives the Inca divers a slightly ruffled appearance. The head cap is dark slate- gray, the feathers on the sides of the head are somewhat extended in breeding plumage and form tufts of feathers that shimmer copper color. The back neck is black and end up running into a thin line. The front neck is white. The body sides and flanks are whitish with small dark gray spots. The body underside is white. The eyes are orange, the beak is black. The legs and feet are black. In finishing the dress lengthened feathers missing on the sides of the head.
Distribution area
The Inca diver is widespread in the far south of the South American continent. The nominate comes from Tierra del Fuelgo, to Cordoba and Santa Fe in Argentina and Central Chile before. It settles rarely at altitudes above 1,300 meters in altitude. The subspecies Podiceps occipitalis juninensis comes in the highlands of the Andes, from northern Chile to north- western Argentina and in the Junín region of Peru, as well as in Ecuador and in the highlands of Colombia before. The subspecies inhabited open wetlands. This subspecies has a browner plumage and a lighter front neck. Since there still are about differences in physique and behavior, is not excluded that the native to the Andes subspecies represents a distinct species.
Way of life
On the Falkland Islands Inca divers often come to the same waters as the Rolland - divers. Although they are small and conspicuous pinnate, they fall on stronger than this Lappentaucherart because often multiple copies are to be observed simultaneously. There are colony breeders, which occurs under relatively grebes. In the Falkland Islands, not less than 16 nests of the Inca divers were counted along a 50 -meter-long stretches along the shore. The breeding season begins in the Falkland Islands in September. The two bluish- white eggs are laid from November to January. Outside the breeding season they are frequently observed in the kelp on the coasts.