Tachybaptus is a genus of small birds of the grebe family. The genus name means "quick diving"; it is from Ancient Greek takhys "quick" and bapto "I dip". It has representatives over much of the world, including the tropics.
These grebes breed in small colonies in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes. They may move to more open or coastal waters when not breeding, and birds in those areas where the waters freeze may be migratory. Like all grebes, they nest on the water's edge, since the legs are set very far back and they cannot walk well. The striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back. These small grebes are excellent swimmers and divers, and pursue their fish prey underwater.
They are dumpy and short-billed birds with a “powder puff” rear end; the sexes are similar. Adults have a distinctive breeding plumage and loud breeding calls. In winter, they are grey and white.
The four Old World species are closely related to each and at least three have interbred. Unlike these, the least grebe lacks chestnut colouring on the neck, and has formerly been placed in at least three other genera.
Taxonomy
The genus Tachybaptus was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate a single species, Colymbus minor Gmelin, 1789. This is a junior synonym of Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764, the little grebe. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ταχυς/takhus meaning "fast" with βαπτω/baptō meaning "to sink under".
The genus contains five species:
Image
Common name
Scientific name
Subspecies
Distribution
† Alaotra grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus
Monotypic
formerly Lake Alaotra, Madagascar; extinct, last reported 1985
Little grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Ten
Across Europe, much of Asia down to Philippines, New Guinea and Solomon Islands, and most of Africa
Australasian grebe
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Six
Australia, New Zealand and nearby Pacific islands
Madagascar grebe
Tachybaptus pelzelnii...
