Great Crested Grebe Weed-Dance
On early spring mornings, great crested grebe pairs join together to perform an elegant ritual. Head shaking, bill-dipping, and preening culminates in the famous ‘penguin dance’; the pair rush together, feet frantically paddling until they are upright, chest to chest, flicking beaks full of water weed at each other. A final head shake, the weed is dropped, and the deal is sealed. The plight of the great crested grebe was one of the triggers for the birth of the modern conservation movement. Laws and minds were changed, and 4,600 pairs of great crested grebes can be seen dancing on many park lakes, reservoirs, gravel pits, and canals.
Great Crested Grebe Weed-Dance
On early spring mornings, great crested grebe pairs join together to perform an elegant ritual. Head shaking, bill-dipping, and preening culminates in the famous ‘penguin dance’; the pair rush together, feet frantically paddling until they are upright, chest to chest, flicking beaks full of water weed at each other. A final head shake, the weed is dropped, and the deal is sealed. The plight of the great crested grebe was one of the triggers for the birth of the modern conservation movement. Laws and minds were changed, and 4,600 pairs of great crested grebes can be seen dancing on many park lakes, reservoirs, gravel pits, and canals.