Tachybaptus is a genus of small birds of the grebe family. The genus name means "quick diving": it is from Ancient Greek takhys "quick" and bapto "I dip".[1] It has representatives over much of the world, including the tropics.
| Tachybaptus | |
|---|---|
-_Breeding_plumage_W2_IMG_8770.jpg) | |
| Tachybaptus ruficollis in Hyderabad, India. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Podicipediformes |
| Family: | Podicipedidae |
| Tribe: | Podilymbini |
| Genus: | Tachybaptus Reichenbach, 1853 |
| Type species | |
| Colymbus minor, Gmelin, 1789=Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764 | |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
These grebes breed in small colonies in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes. They may move to more open or coastal waters when not breeding, and birds in those areas where the waters freeze may be migratory. Like all grebes, they nest on the water's edge, since the legs are set very far back and they cannot walk well. The striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back. These small grebes are excellent swimmers and divers, and pursue their fish prey underwater.
The sexes are similar: dumpy and short-billed with a “powder puff” rear end. Adults have a distinctive breeding plumage and loud breeding calls. In winter, they are grey and white.
The five Old World species are closely related to each and at least three have interbred. Unlike these, the least grebe lacks chestnut colouring on the neck, and has formerly been placed in at least three other genera.
Taxonomy
editThe genus Tachybaptus was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate a single species, Colymbus minor Gmelin, 1789.[2] This is a junior synonym of Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764, the little grebe.[3][4] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ταχυς/takhus meaning "fast" with βαπτω/baptō meaning "to sink under".[5]
The genus contains five species:[6]
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alaotra grebe | Tachybaptus rufolavatus | formerly Lake Alaotra, Madagascar; extinct, last reported 1950 |
 | Little grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | Across Europe, much of Asia down to Philippines, New Guinea and Solomon Islands, and most of Africa |
 | Australasian grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae | Australia, New Zealand and nearby Pacific islands |
 | Madagascar grebe | Tachybaptus pelzelnii | Madagascar |
 | Least grebe | Tachybaptus dominicus | Southern United States and Mexico to Argentina; also Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles |
References
edit- ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 377. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ↑ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1853). Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie (in German). Dresden und Leipzig: Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. p. iii. For the publication date see: Dickinson, E.C.; Overstreet, L.K.; Dowsett, R.J.; Bruce, M.D. (2011). Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers. Northampton, UK: Aves Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-9568611-1-5.
- ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 142.
- ↑ Dickinson, E.C.; Remsen, J.V. Jr., eds. (2013). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Non-passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-9568611-0-8.
- ↑ Jobling, James A. "Tachybaptus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- Olgilvie and Rose, Grebes of the World ISBN 1-872842-03-8
- Harrison, Peter Seabirds: An Identification Guide ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
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