Great Crested Grebe
Grebes are beautiful looking water birds, and the Great Crested Grebe is the lion of the lot.
The best place in Perth to spot one of these beauties is probably Herdsman Lake. They have young about this time of year (January) so just be careful not to disturb them, and watch out for Tiger snakes.
Family dynamics
Great Crested Grebes take courtship seriously, pair up after a bit dancing and showing off and are monogamous for the year. Both parents help out incubating eggs.
The mummy grebe and daddy grebe look very similar, she being slightly smaller than he, but the babies are quite distinct in their grey and white stripes.
When they are little the babies will climb up onto their parents backs like some other water birds (swans for example) for a bit of a ferry ride around the lake.
Once they are larger the parents will teach them all about fishing.
Status
Birdlife Australia lists these birds as having a Secure status in WA at the moment, but like all birds they rely on us to maintain their habitat.
More information
Family: Podicipedidae
www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Podiceps-cristatus
www.birdsaustralia.com.au/bird-profile/great-crested-grebe
www.arkive.org/great-crested-grebe/podiceps-cristatus/#src=portletV3api
