Australasian Little Grebe Pharazyn Reserve

[Diannep]

Hi, I was at Pharazyn Reserve this morning and for a moment I thought I was at Lake Elterwater. This bird looks more like a juvenile Hoary headed Grebe rather than a Dabchick. Happy to be corrected.

[bradley_birdsnz]

Looks good to me Dianne. Only other possibility would be juvenile aussie little grebe but this would have a larger yellowish gape.
Nice find.

Cheers, Bradley

[RussCannings]

The presence of a visible gape at all is suggestive of Little. Add to that the dark crown line crossing the eye (rather than below as in HH), and the dark orbital skin seems more Little too. Zooming in on the back feathers I can almost imagine retained rufous breeding plumage?

Awesome either way!

Russ

[bradley_birdsnz]

Agree with Russ upon a closer look at the photos.
You don't have any photos of the wings by chance Dianne?

[Diannep]

I haven't got a photo of wings but here are a couple more. Now that you mention little I can see a light yellow oval ahead of eye on these addition photos

[Alan Tennyson]

The eyes look dark - even reddish?

[Oscar Thomas]

Little Grebe (minus the Australasian)? Tricoloured Grebe?

The head is still blocky and neck quite stout so I wonder if a hybrid Australasian x Hoary would come out like this.

[ledzep]

Some more photos of the Grebe, at the back of the southern pond at Pharazyn reserve. Appears lighter than the Dabchick and clearly smaller when Dabchick are nearby. I think the consensus is Australian Little Grebe. One photo showing underwing. These birds are a novelty for us in the bottom of the NI.

[ledzep]

And a couple more photos.

[Diannep]

Photo with wings outstretched being chased away by NZ Dacbchick and clearer photo in front of a Dabchick of head and features.