Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Silhouette: Tisha Mukherjee · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) is a member of the grebe family. It breeds in southern parts of Australia; it winters throughout the island of Tasmania. The bird takes its name from the silvery-white streaking on its black head. It is common in Australia, with a population of about 500,000. Its habitat is similar to that of the Australasian grebe.
The hoary-headed grebe is a fairly small dark grey and white grebe. It has a brown eye and a black patch under the chin, and a narrow black streak down the back of the neck. During the breeding season the adult's plumage has white streaks over its entire head, giving them the common name of hoary-headed grebe. Juveniles have a white chin and throat and a striped face. Males have two plumage phases: after breeding they lose the buff breast and the white lines on the head, but can usually be identified then by the broad black bar down the nape.
The hoary-headed grebe is found in all states and territories of Australia. It is generally absent from the central arid regions of Australia. The hoary-headed grebe is usually found away from the shoreline in large open waters, which... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary-headed Grebe sighting in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, based on 200 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 70th most-seen of the 170 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–April, August and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary-headed Grebe in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May–July, September and November–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hoary-headed Grebe sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Hoary-headed Grebe sightings, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Grampians National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Booderee National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Podicipedidae
The closest relatives of the Hoary-headed Grebe that you can see in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (family Podicipedidae, Grebes) are Great Crested Grebe (about 20%) and Australasian Grebe (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hoary-headed Grebe is recorded against all the birds logged in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (200 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
