Grebes (Podicipedidae)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) - HBW 1, p. 189

French: Grèbe castagneux German: Zwergtaucher Spanish: Zampullín Común
Other common names: Common/Red throated (Little) Grebe, Dabchick

Taxonomy: Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764, Holland.
Formerly included in Podiceps. Forms superspecies with T. novaehollandiae and T. rufolavatus, both of which have been considered races of present species. Extensive hybridization with latter, and occasionally with T. pelzelnii. Validity of race vulcanorum doubtful. Nine subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

ruficollis (Pallas, 1764) - Europe E to Urals, NW Africa.
iraquensis (Ticehurst, 1923) - Iraq, SW Iran.
capensis (Salvadori, 1884) - Africa S of Sahara, Madagascar; Caucasus through India and Sri Lanka to Burma.

See all 9 subspecies

ruficollis (Pallas, 1764) - Europe E to Urals, NW Africa.
iraquensis (Ticehurst, 1923) - Iraq, SW Iran.
capensis (Salvadori, 1884) - Africa S of Sahara, Madagascar; Caucasus through India and Sri Lanka to Burma.
poggei (Reichenow, 1902) - SE & NE Asia, Hainan, Taiwan, Japan and S Kuril Is.
philippensis (Bonnaterre, 1791) - N Philippines.
cotabato (Rand, 1948) - Mindanao (SE Philippines).
tricolor (G. R. Gray, 1861) - Sulawesi to Seram and N New Guinea; Lombok to Timor.
vulcanorum (Rensch, 1929) - Java to Timor.
collaris (Mayr, 1945) - NE New Guinea to Bougainville I (Solomon Is).