BLACK-NECKED GREBE
The black-necked grebe is also known as the eared grebe, due to its breeding plumage. This features distinguished ochre coloured feathers, which extend behind their eyes and over their ear coverts. The rest of the breeding plumage consists of the head, neck, back, and breast being black. The sides are chestnut brown and the abdomen is white. During the winter the bird has blackish-grey upper parts, including the top of the head and a vertical stripe on the back of the neck. The sides are also blackish-grey, and the rest of the body is a dirty white. If you can get a close shot, you will see the red eyes.
Black-necked grebes have a diet, mostly consisting of insects. They catch them on the water's surface, glean them from plants, and even catch them in flight. They will also dive to catch crustaceans, molluscs, fish, and tadpoles. This bird overwinters here and can be spotted on freshwater lakes and estuaries. That being said, I have seen them on the saltwater lagoon of Koutavos at Argostoli. In the Spring they can be found in the Mediterranean Sea.
