Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps grisegena

Like all grebes it is an expert swimmer and diver. In winter plumage it is similar to a Great Crested Grebe but has a thicker neck, and a stout dark bill with a yellow base. It has a brown body, a black crown with whitish cheeks and, in summer, a red neck and breast.

The best place to see them is from sea watching points around the east coast of the UK in winter. Summering birds are mainly found in the south and east of England.

Winter.

Feeds on fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects.

Breeding has been suspected in the UK but the potential sites are kept secret and birds given special protection to protect them. Fewer than 20 individuals spend the summer in the UK each year, with numbers increasing slightly in the winter when birds move here from colder Europe.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland.