courting Puteketeke – Australasian Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus australis
These photos show grebes courting with one bird bringing the other a branch and formally presenting it, followed by a series of synchronised movements.
Photographed on Waiwera (Lake Forsyth) Canterbury, New Zealand.
Found throughout Europe, Africa and parts of Asia to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand these birds breed only in the South Island in lowland lakes west of the Southern Alps and on subalpine and alpine lakes within and east of the main ranges with the greatest occurrence in Canterbury. They are a fully protected and threatened native, having disappeared from much of their former range, although the Canterbury population seems reasonably stable. But their low numbers and relatively few breeding places leave them very vulnerable to human interference and habitat changes.
Their breeding lakes include the Ashburton Lakes in Canterbury where my family own a traditional kiwi bach (basic holiday cottage) and so these birds have been part of my family recreational culture and surroundings for many years. Those in these pictures, however, were photographed on Lake Forsyth near Christchurch city.
courting Puteketeke – Australasian Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus australis
These photos show grebes courting with one bird bringing the other a branch and formally presenting it, followed by a series of synchronised movements.
Photographed on Waiwera (Lake Forsyth) Canterbury, New Zealand.
Found throughout Europe, Africa and parts of Asia to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand these birds breed only in the South Island in lowland lakes west of the Southern Alps and on subalpine and alpine lakes within and east of the main ranges with the greatest occurrence in Canterbury. They are a fully protected and threatened native, having disappeared from much of their former range, although the Canterbury population seems reasonably stable. But their low numbers and relatively few breeding places leave them very vulnerable to human interference and habitat changes.
Their breeding lakes include the Ashburton Lakes in Canterbury where my family own a traditional kiwi bach (basic holiday cottage) and so these birds have been part of my family recreational culture and surroundings for many years. Those in these pictures, however, were photographed on Lake Forsyth near Christchurch city.