Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Cairo

In 3 days ~10%

10 Verified sightings at Cairo
8,637 In all 27 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Great Crested Grebe

The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship display that involves synchronised dances and displays.

The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Colymbus cristatus. It is now the type species of the genus Podiceps that was erected by the English naturalist John Latham in 1787. The type locality is Sweden. The scientific name comes from Latin: the genus name Podiceps is from podicis, "vent" and pes, "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body; the specific name, cristatus, means "crested".

Three subspecies are currently accepted: The great crested grebe is the largest species of grebe in the Old World, though some larger species occur in the Americas. They measure 46–51 cm (18–20 in) long with a 59–73 cm (23–29 in) wingspan and weigh 0.9 to 1.5 kg (2.0 to 3.3 lb). It is an excellent swimmer... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:14

Sweden · 2017

© Ulf Elman · XC764849 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call0:06

Poland · 2008

© Jarek Matusiak · XC592118 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:10

Sweden · 2019

© Lars Edenius · XC473226 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 De Hoop Nature Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
2 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~40%
3 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~40%
4 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~40%
5 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
7 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
8 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
9 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
10 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
11 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
12 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
~10%
13 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
14 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
15 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
16 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
17 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
18 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
19 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
20 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
<5%
21 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
22 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
<5%
23 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
24 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
25 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
26 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
27 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~60%
2 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~50%
3 Sincan 🇹🇷 Turkey
~50%
4 Luoyang 🇨🇳 China
~50%
5 Nanchang 🇨🇳 China
~40%
6 Yerevan 🇦🇲 Armenia
~40%
7 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
8 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~40%
9 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
10 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~30%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Oasi Naturalistica di Sant'Alessio 🇮🇹 Italy In captivity
3 L'Oceanogràfic 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
4 Universeum 🇸🇪 Sweden In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Crested Grebe in Cairo?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Crested Grebe sighting in Cairo on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 76th most-seen of the 92 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Great Crested Grebe in Cairo?

December and January

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Great Crested Grebe in Cairo on a given day, against under 5% in February to November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Great Crested Grebe?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Crested Grebe sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cairo the best place to see a Great Crested Grebe?

73rd of 85

Of the 85 cities where we can rate Great Crested Grebe sightings, Cairo ranks 73rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Turin (Italy, about 60%), Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 50%) and Sincan (Turkey, about 50%).

Where does the Great Crested Grebe sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Crested Grebe is recorded against all the birds logged in Cairo (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Cairo