Australasian Grebe - Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
A small water bird commonly seen in wetlands habitats with plenty of aquatic vegetation. Usually floats with his feathers fluffed out making him look quite portly. To gather food the grebe dives deep (to a depth of 3m) leaving barely a ripple on the surface and reappears at distances of up to 10m away.
He occasionally flies with much wing flapping and running on the water first and can defend his territory against rivals in the breeding season. The voice is a rather harsh chittering.
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