Sergey Dereliev

The species breeds on fresh or brackish waters occupying small natural and shallow wetlands with abundant vegetation. During migration and winter occurs mostly on marine (coastal) waters, usually less than 10-20m in depth. It has circumpolar distribution – the breeding range covers most of N & NW Europe, the taiga belt E to Kamchatka, N & NW North America (Stedman 2020). The abundance hotspots in Europe are N Iceland, E Sweden, SW Finland and Russia (Keller et al. 2020).

Intra-European migrant. Outside breeding season moves further S or to nearby seas.

Its population trend in Europe is decreasing. Evaluated as “Vulnerable” (BirdLife International 2021).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		14200-19200,16100
Red List categoryNT
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Slavonian Grebe

Most birds breeding in Fennoscandia migrate mainly SW reaching the S Baltic Sea, North Sea and the offshore areas around UK. E European and W Siberian breeders travel SW and S towards Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions (Ilichev 1978). The coastal waters off Norway are an important wintering area as well, used by the local breeding population. NW European breeders either spend the winter on local offshore waters (mostly UK, very few in Iceland) or undertake movements to SE (two recoveries showing Iceland-Scotland and Scotland-Italy connections). Very few documented records of local movements (fresh water wetland to sea coast), as well.

Very limited data due to overall decreasing numbers and difficulties in trapping the species.

Recoveries by Condition for Slavonian Grebe

Protected species in Europe. Most encounters recorded in N & NW Europe (about 75%). The majority of records (84%) for the period 1961-90 pertain to dead birds, incl. shot/hunted (16%); their share largely decreased to just 12% after 1990. Inversely, the share of recoveries from alive birds increased considerably from 16% in 1961-90 to about 87% after 1990 (the ringing recoveries forming 62%). Oil spills are potentially important factor (two oil-victims for the period 1961-90). Known to be susceptible to fisheries by-catch on inland waterbodies and at sea in North America (limited data for Europe, two cases after 1990) (Kirk 2014).

Annual Movements for Slavonian Grebe

Fennoscandian breeders start leaving their breeding sites in late Aug. Their autumn migration is more pronounced in Oct-Nov, the wintering sites along the Atlantic Coast of France, the North Sea and S Baltic Sea are reached in Nov-Dec. Pre-breeding movements are mostly in Mar-Apr, and the arrival on the breeding grounds is in Apr-May.

Autumn movements of E European and SW Siberian breeders well expressed in Oct; spring return from Caspian Sea initiated in late Mar (Ilichev 1978). Birds breeding in Scotland remain on their breeding sites until late Oct, by Nov most have spread along the coast; the spring return takes place in Mar (Wernham et al. 2002). The species undergoes a flightless wing-moulting period in late summer and autumn, either staying on the breeding sites or moving to large lakes where it gathers in flocks.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Slavonian Grebe

Post-breeding movements of Fennoscandian breeders start in late summer, peaking in late autumn. Birds from this population are encountered in late autumn and winter (Nov-Dec) along the coasts/ coastal zones of N Poland, The Netherlands and France. Part of the Norwegian population migrates as far S as the Scottish Coast. Spring migration takes place mostly in Mar and Apr. The breeding sites are reached in mid- to late spring, in the extreme N and E parts of Europe they may not be occupied until late May. Scottish breeders leave their breeding sites towards local sea coasts in late autumn, returning back in early spring. A bird from the Icelandic breeding population has been encountered in Scotland in late Oct.

Boris Nikolov

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
2002 . The Migration Atlas: movements of the birds of Britain and Ireland. T. & A.D. Poyser, LondonEditor(s): Wernham, C.V., Toms, M.P., Marchant, J.H., Clark, J.A., Siriwardena, G.M., Baillie, S.R.
2020 . European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, BarcelonaEditor(s): Keller, V., S. Herrando, P. Voříšek, et al.
1978 . Migrations of birds of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Gaviiformes – Ciconiiformes. Nauka, MoscowEditor(s): Ilichev, V.
BirdLife International2021 . Species factsheet: Podiceps auritus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 03/03/2021
Kirk, D. A.2014 . Management Plan for the Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) in Ontario. Ontario Management Plan Series. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Stedman, S. J2020 . Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.horgre.01) Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USAEditor(s): Billerman, S. M.

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