Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Silhouette: Tisha Mukherjee · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary-headed Grebe sighting in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 84 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary-headed Grebe in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May and July–December, the lowest months. Those are among Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park's wettest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
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.
5th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Hoary-headed Grebe sightings, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 10%), Grampians National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Booderee National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hoary-headed Grebe is recorded against all the birds logged in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (6 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.
