7-8-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - COMMON KINGFISHER (MALE) (Alcedo atthis)

The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.

This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.

The common kingfisher was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae in 1758 as Gracula atthis. The modern binomial name derives from the Latin alcedo, 'kingfisher' (from Greek ἀλκυών, halcyon), and Atthis, a beautiful young woman of Lesbos, and favourite of Sappho.

The genus Alcedo comprises seven small kingfishers that all eat fish as part of their diet. The common kingfisher's closest relative is the cerulean kingfisher that has white underparts and is found in parts of Indonesia. 

The Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a small kingfisher widely distributed across Eurasia and North Africa. It is amongst the most colorful birds but despite its extraordinary colors, sometimes the Common kingfisher is difficult to see when it is in a dappled shade, and its colors are also not very obvious in flight. Furthermore, due to its shy nature, the Common kingfisher often remains hidden from a human's eye.

The Common kingfisher has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied, large-headed, and long-billed shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and a black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90-100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather.

The Common kingfisher occurs throughout Europe and in Asia as far to the east as Japan, and south of the Sahara in Africa. Common kingfishers live year-round in the south, while northern populations fly south in winter away from the freezing water. In temperate regions, these birds inhabit clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. They frequent scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which they hunt. In winter Common kingfishers are more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbors and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found near slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks, and swamps.

7-8-2016 LA LLACUNA, VALENCIA - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)

Spotted flycatchers are one of our summer migrants that spend the winter in Africa. They are one of the latest migrants to reach us, with a few trickling into the country from late April and most arriving from mid-May.

Despite arriving relatively late, spotted flycatchers manage to rear two broods of young before departing at the end of August. The success of the second clutch is increased by fewer eggs being laid, meaning less mouths to fill. They will nest in gardens but the nest is usually well hidden on ledges or behind climbing plants.

Spotted flycatchers prefer large flying insects, including flies and butterflies. However, if the weather is cool and insects aren’t flying, they will take smaller invertebrates from leaves and branches. If poor weather persists, many nests fail as these smaller invertebrates tend to be eaten by the parents rather than fed to the young.

In order to reduce the chances of their invertebrate prey escaping, spotted flycatchers have a series of modified feathers, like bristles, down the sides of the bill. They have also adapted to catch stinging insects. They rub the sting end on their perch to remove it, making the prey safe to eat.

The spotted flycatcher is red listed due to its rapid and consistent population decline with an 89 per cent decrease between 1967 and 2012. Evidence suggests that this is due to poor annual survival rates of first year birds, but conditions in their wintering grounds in Africa may also have contributed to the decline.

6-8-2016 MONTE CORONA, ADOR - HOUSE SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer domesticus)

Widespread and abundant in cities, neighborhoods and farms. Avoids dense woods. Flocks cluster in dense bushes, bustling around and chattering to one another. Males have smart black bibs, bright rufous napes, and stunningly patterned wings with brilliant buffs and browns. Underparts are pale pearly-gray. Females are plain brown with cute face and lighter eyebrow. Native to Eurasia; introduced to much of the rest of the world.

Females and young House Sparrows are pale brown and grey in colour, whereas the males have brighter black, white, and chestnut brown markings. The male has a grey cap, black face mask and chestnut brown neck. Its back and wings are chestnut and black in colour.

House Sparrows are native to Eurasia, but was introduced to Australasia, the Americas, and Africa. It is one of the most widespread species in the world. In Africa, it was introduced along the Nile River and separately from southern DRC through to Zambia, Angola, and South Africa. In South Africa it is locally common, especially in urban and suburban areas.

4-8-2016 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

The Little Egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. Its arrival followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor.

With its yellow feet, which are used to flush prey when feeding in shallow water, the Little Egret is a distinctive member of the heron family.

Little Egrets first bred in Britain in 1996 and since then have successfully colonised much of southern Britain and Ireland. Most of the breeding colonies have been established within existing Grey Heron colonies, the two species nesting alongside one another.

The winter distribution is also currently restricted to the southern half of Britain & Ireland, despite the fact that young birds are known to move some distance from their natal site.

4-8-2016 CAMI LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)

Spotted flycatchers are one of our summer migrants that spend the winter in Africa. They are one of the latest migrants to reach us, with a few trickling into the country from late April and most arriving from mid-May.

Despite arriving relatively late, spotted flycatchers manage to rear two broods of young before departing at the end of August. The success of the second clutch is increased by fewer eggs being laid, meaning less mouths to fill. They will nest in gardens but the nest is usually well hidden on ledges or behind climbing plants.

Spotted flycatchers prefer large flying insects, including flies and butterflies. However, if the weather is cool and insects aren’t flying, they will take smaller invertebrates from leaves and branches. If poor weather persists, many nests fail as these smaller invertebrates tend to be eaten by the parents rather than fed to the young.

In order to reduce the chances of their invertebrate prey escaping, spotted flycatchers have a series of modified feathers, like bristles, down the sides of the bill. They have also adapted to catch stinging insects. They rub the sting end on their perch to remove it, making the prey safe to eat.

The spotted flycatcher is red listed due to its rapid and consistent population decline with an 89 per cent decrease between 1967 and 2012. Evidence suggests that this is due to poor annual survival rates of first year birds, but conditions in their wintering grounds in Africa may also have contributed to the decline.

4-8-2016 OLIVA MARJAL, VALENCIA - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (JUVENILE) (Muscicapa striata)

The spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata ) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.

This is an undistinguished looking bird with long wings and tail. The adults have grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with a streaked crown and breast, giving rise to the bird's common name. The legs are short and black, and the bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores. Juveniles are browner than adults and have spots on the upperparts.

The spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata ) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and in the Palearctic to Siberia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.

This is an undistinguished looking bird with long wings and tail. The adults have grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with a streaked crown and breast, giving rise to the bird's common name. The legs are short and black, and the bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores. Juveniles are browner than adults and have spots on the upperparts.

The spotted flycatcher is a small slim bird, around 14.5 cm (5.7 in) in length, with a weight of 14–20 g (0.49–0.71 oz). It has dull grey-brown upperparts and off-white underparts. The crown, throat and breast are streaked with brown while the wings and tail feathers are edged with paler thin margins. The subspecies M. s. tyrrhenica has paler and warmer plumage on the upperparts, with more diffuse markings on the head and breast. The sexes are alike. Juveniles have ochre-buff spots above and scaly brown spots below.

Spotted flycatchers hunt from conspicuous perches, making sallies after passing flying insects, and often returning to the same perch. Their upright posture is characteristic.

3-8-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)

A small, rotund wading bird, the Little ringed plover nests on bare gravel around flooded gravel pits, sandy riverbanks and reservoirs. Like other plovers, it forages for invertebrates and crustaceans in a particular way: standing and watching, running forward, pecking, then standing still again. It is a migrant species, arriving in this country in mid-March and leaving again in July.

 

Daintier than the ringed plover, the Little ringed plover has a black bill, pale, creamy-brown legs, and a bright yellow ring around the eye. It is sandy-brown above and white below, with a black chest-band and black bridle markings on the head.

 

A summer visitor to England and Wales.

3-8-2016 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)

The Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. The Greater flamingo was previously thought to be the same species as the American flamingo, but because of coloring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, the two flamingos are now most commonly considered separate species.

Greater flamingos have an attractive coloration and appearance. Their feathers are pinkish/white, the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. They have long pink bills with a black tip, yellow eyes and long pink legs. The male is bigger than the female, and juveniles have a gray-brown coloration, with some pink on their underparts, tail and wings, with the legs and beak being mainly brown.

The Greater flamingo inhabits Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. They occur in relatively shallow water bodies, such as saline lagoons, salt pans, large alkaline or saline lakes, and estuaries. Breeding takes place on sandbanks, mudflats, sandy or rocky islands, or open beaches.

Greater flamingos are very social. They travel in groups numbering up to thousands and they communicate by using visual and auditory cues. Greater flamingos are partially dispersive and migratory. They are traveling constantly, seeking areas with enough resources to sustain the whole flock, especially during the mating season. Greater flamingos keep their chicks together in crèches. Adults supervising crèches tend to act in a hostile way toward hatchlings if their own young are not in that crèche. Greater flamingos are diurnal, feeding during the day. Being bottom feeders, they rely on water levels that are low, and they move to new areas to find appropriate feeding conditions. They often bathe in fresh shallow water and preen their feathers to remove salt from them. They are not territorial birds but during breeding season they do defend their nests.

Greater flamingos are serially monogamous birds, forming pair bonds that remain together only for a single breeding season. They breed in dense colonies numbering up to 20,000 or more pairs. They perform spectacular group displays of courtship, involving ritualized preening, synchronized wing-raising, and head-flagging, where they raise their necks and beaks and turn their heads from side to side. Breeding seasons vary with location, occurring in some areas at irregular intervals, following the rains. Nest-building is done in pairs. A single chalky-white egg is laid, rarely two. Both parents share the incubation of 27-31 days. After several days of being brooded by both parents, the chick joins a crèche with many other chicks. Both parents feed the chick, with the typical milk that is secreted in the adults' upper digestive tract. Chicks fledge between 65 and 90 days after hatching and become reproductively mature between 4 and 6 years of age.

3-8-2016 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

Small snow-white heron with slender dark bill, blackish legs, and yellowish feet ("golden slippers"). Breeding adult has 2 long wispy head plumes and a spray of white plumes ("aigrettes") on the lower back. Inhabits a wide variety of wetlands: lakes, rivers, marshes, estuaries—almost anywhere with small fish. Occurs as singles or small loose groups; nests and roosts communally. Distinctive within its range, but compare with larger Great and Intermediate Egrets, stockier Cattle Egret, and white morph reef herons.

3-8-2016 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - RED VEINED DARTER DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

The red-veined darter or nomad (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum.

Sympetrum fonscolombii is a widespread and common species in much of central and southern Europe including most Mediterranean islands, North Africa, the Middle East, Mongolia, south-western Asia, including the Indian Subcontinent, the Indian Ocean Islands and Sri Lanka. In Europe it is resident in the south of its range but in some years it migrates northward. From the 1990s onwards has increasingly been found in northwest Europe, including Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Britain and Ireland. It is the only Libellulidae to be found in the Azores and it is also found on the Canary Islands and Madeira.

It breeds in a wide range of habitats including marshes, lakes, ponds, permanent and seasonal rivers. It is able to recolonize dry areas after a rainfall.

Sympetrum fonscolombii can reach a body length of 38–40 millimetres (1.5–1.6 in). This species is similar to other Sympetrum species but a good view with binoculars should give a positive identification, especially with a male.

Males have a red abdomen, redder than many other Sympetrum species. The frons and the thorax are red-brown. The eyes are brown above and blue/grey below. The wings have red veins and the wing bases of the hind-wings are yellow. The pterostigma is pale yellow with a border of black veins.

Female are similar but the abdomen is ochre yellow, not red, with two black lines along each side. The wings have yellow veins at the costa, leading edge and base, not red veins as found in the males. The legs of both sexes are mostly black with some yellow.

Immature males are like females but often with more red and a single line along each side of the abdomen.

Male S. fonscolombii can be mistaken for Crocothemis erythraea as both are very red dragonflies with yellow bases to the wings, red veins and pale pterostigma. However C. erythraea has no black on the legs, a broader body and no black on the head. Also C. erythraea females do not oviposit in tandem. The gestalt image of these two species is different and with some experience are easy to tell apart.

Sympetrum fonscolombii can be seen on the wing throughout the year around the Mediterranean and in the south of its range, however, its main flight period is May to October and it is scarce during the winter months. It is a territorial species with the males often sitting on an exposed perch.

After copulation the pair stay in tandem for egg laying and pairs can be seen over open water with the female dipping her abdomen into the water depositing eggs. Pairs are known to fly over the sea in tandem dipping into the salt water where the eggs soon perish. The eggs and larvae develop within a few months and S. fonscolombii unlike most other European dragonflies has more than one generation a year. Some larvae overwinter.

3-8-2016 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)

The Common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird that has a circumpolar distribution. it has four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Its large population and huge breeding range mean that this species is classed as being of least concern, although numbers in North America have declined sharply in recent decades.

Known for its attractive plumage and graceful flight, Common terns have a slender body and a smoothly rounded head, and long pointed wings. Their breeding plumage is light silvery-gray upperparts and clear black outer primaries on its wingtips. 

Outside the breeding season, the birds keep some of their distinguishable black cap, but their forehead and face turn white. Their legs and bill turn black, losing their orange-red coloration. Male and female are similar in appearance throughout the year. Juvenile Common terns have pale grey upper wings with a dark carpal bar. The crown and nape are brown, and the forehead is ginger, wearing to white by autumn. The upper parts are ginger with brown and white scaling, and the tail lacks the adult's long outer feathers. Birds in their first post-juvenile plumage, which normally remain in their wintering areas, resemble the non-breeding adult but have a duskier crown, dark carpal bar, and often very worn plumage. By their second year, most young terns are either indistinguishable from adults, or show only minor differences such as a darker bill or white forehead.

Common terns occur from northern Canada to the Caribbean Sea in the south, throughout Europe, Northern Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Outside of the mating season, these birds winter along the coasts of South America and Central America, along Africa’s coast and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as on islands in the Indian Ocean and throughout Australasia and much of Southeast Asia. They breed on sand spits, beaches and low-lying inshore islands. They also nest inland near slow-flowing rivers, and lakes in open country. This species favors areas that have close shallow waters where they can fish. During migration, they are mainly seen along coasts, at freshwater inland lakes and in estuaries. During winter, they are mostly coastal, in warm tropical and subtropical waters.

3-8-2016 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the cattle egret), but some (including the International Ornithologists' Union) separate them. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Western cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the cattle egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

The adult cattle egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals; wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

3-8-2016 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed, very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family Recurvirostridae. Its scientific name, Himantopus himantopus, is sometimes used to generalize a single, almost cosmopolitan species. Alternatively, it is restricted to the form that is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa, which equals the nominate group of H. himantopus sensu lato. Meanwhile, the black-necked (H. mexicanus) and white-backed stilts (H. melanurus) both inhabit the Americas; the pied stilt (H. leucocephalus) ranges from Australasia and New Zealand. Today, most sources accept between one and four actual species. The taxonomic name Himantopus comes from Greek, meaning "strap-foot" or "thong-foot".

3-8-2016 ULAL DE BOLDOVI, VALENCIA - BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)

The Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world. These birds have a stocky appearance as if hunched over, the head tucked down into the shoulders, and they are usually seen with this posture. They are most active at dusk or at night when their ghostly forms fly from their daytime roosts to the wetlands where they forage.

Adult birds have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. They have pale gray wings and white under parts. Two or three long white plumes, erected in greeting and courtship displays, extend from the back of the head. The sexes are similar in appearance although the males are slightly larger. Black-crowned night herons do not fit the typical body form of the heron family. They are relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks than their more familiar cousins, the egrets and "day" herons. Their resting posture is normally somewhat hunched but when hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds. Immature birds have dull grey-brown plumage on their heads, wings, and backs, with numerous pale spots. Their underparts are paler and streaked with brown. The young birds have orange eyes and duller yellowish-green legs.

Black-crowned night herons breed on every continent apart from Antarctica and Australasia. In the Americas, it is from Washington to Quebec, through coastal Mexico, and in Central America and the Caribbean. In winter they can be found as far north as the New England states and Oregon. The Old World subspecies occur from Japan to Europe, Africa, and India. This heron lives in a wide range of habitats, from swamps, rivers, and lakes to salt marshes, lagoons, and mudflats. Aquatic and marginal vegetation like mangroves, reed beds, bamboo, and other trees are necessary for nesting and roosting.

Population size

570,000-3,7Mln

Life Span

20-30 years

Top speed

55

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

800

goz

g oz 

Height

63

cminch

cm inch 

Length

56-65

cminch

Black-crowned night herons are social throughout the year, often associating with other species. In the winter, they roost together. A migrating species, it will fly at night and rest during the day. Black-crowned night herons feed by standing still at the water's edge and waiting to ambush prey, mainly at night or early morning. They also engage in bait fishing; luring or distracting fish by tossing edible or inedible buoyant objects into water within their striking range - a rare example of tool use among birds. During the day they rest in trees or bushes. Young leave their perches to huddle in the nest when it is cold. Black-crowned night herons are territorial and will defend their feeding and nesting territories. Their normal call sounds like 'qua,' 'quak,' or 'quark.' Such calls are most often made during flight or when perching.

Black-crowned night herons seem to be monogamous, with one male mating with only one female. Males perform an elaborate courtship display, which is often at night. It walks about in a crouching position, with its head lowered, clapping its bill. Next, it flaps its wings, singing, and dancing. Once the female accepts, the birds preen each other and touch and clasp each other’s bills. The breeding season varies depending on the range. These birds breed in colonies that may be very big (as many as 5000-6000 pairs in Malaysia). The colonies may include several different species. Nests are made on cliff ledges or in reed beds, tall trees, bushes, or on the ground. 3-5 eggs are laid and two broods per season may be produced. Incubation is for about 21-22 days and both parents brood their young. Chicks leave the nest after two weeks, although they do not go far. By three weeks, they will fly to the tops of trees if disturbed. By 6-7 weeks old, they are competent fliers and fly to the feeding grounds. The young are sexually mature at 2-3 years.

3-8-2016 ULAL DE BALDOVI, VALENCIA - LITTLE BITTERN (Ixobrychus minutus)

The little bittern or common little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus ) is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. Ixobrychus is from Ancient Greek ixias, a reed-like plant and brukhomai, to bellow, and minutus is Latin for "small".

The little bittern has a length of 33–38 centimetres (13–15 in) and a wing span of 52–58 centimetres (20–23 in). It is the smallest of the breeding herons of Europe and is characterised by its tiny size, long and sharp bill and thick neck. The males are distinctively patterned and both sexes show pale forewing panels. The males have black with a faint green sheen on the crown, nape, back, tail and scapulars. The underparts are pale buff and the wing has a pinkish buff oval shaped panel which contrasts with the otherwise black wings and is formed by the inner wing coverts. The underwing is completely whiteish in colour. The female is duller than the male and has brownish black upperparts with paler feather margins visible at close range. The underparts of the female are not as clean as those of the male and are streaked with dark buff and brown. The female's wing panel is less obvious than the male's. The juveniles are duller and more rufous than the females and are more heavily streaked on both their upperparts and underparts, including their wing coverts.

The little bittern is native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia are migratory, wintering in Africa and further south in Asia, while those nesting in the tropics are sedentary. It is rare north of its breeding range.

In Britain there were intermittent reports of breeding in the nineteenth century, and again in 1946 and 1957, but none of these records were proven. The first proven British breeding record is from Yorkshire in 1984, and the second from the Avalon Marshes in Somerset in 2010, by 2017 this species had been present in this area for nine consecutive years.

The little bittern is crepuscular, skulking and normally solitary. It feeds on fishes, amphibians and insects which are caught within reedbeds or at their edges by the bird slowly stalking the prey. The male claims a territory in the Spring, advertising his presence with a deep barking or croaking call and the monogamous pair remain together for at least one breeding season. Eggs are laid in a nest situated in dense reedbeds, rushes or bushes above the water from the middle of May and there is a single brood which is normally 5-6 eggs. These are incubated for 17–19 days and the chicks are fledged after 25–30 days.

In Europe the little bittern is a migratory species, crossing the Mediterranean from Africa in the early Spring and arriving in their breeding wetlands from mid April onwards. The return to Africa occurs in August and September and there are normally only a few juveniles left in Europe by October. The European breeders migrate as far south as the Eastern Cape and Transvaal.

Little Bitterns were once widespread in Central Europe. In the meantime it is a poorly distributed breeding bird of the lowlands, sporadically up to low mountain ranges. It occurs from Europe (without regular breeding in Great Britain, Ireland or Scandinavia) to West Siberia up to 56° N. It also occurs in North Africa and southern Iran and south of the Sahara to southern Africa. Isolated populations also exist in Madagascar and Australia. The total population of Europe is about 60,000-120,000 breeding pairs, with occurrences of> 5000 breeding pairs in Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Turkey. In Central Europe (around 2000) about 5300-7800 pairs are breeding, most of it in Hungary. The formerly large population in Germany has decreased to just over 100 breeding pairs. However, inventory information is particularly unreliable for this very secret species.

3-8-2016 ULAL DE BOLDOVI, VALENCIA - LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis ), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".

At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

The Little grebe is a small water bird that is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its wide range. Adult birds are unmistakable in summer; they are predominantly dark above with their rich, rufous color neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds. Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles grow, eventually turning black in adulthood.

Little grebes are found across Europe, much of Asia down to New Guinea, and most of Africa. They are only migratory in those parts of their range where the waters freeze. These birds breed in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, ponds, sheltered bays, reservoirs, slow-flowing rivers, lagoons, swamps, and rice-fields. Outside of the breeding season, they move into more open water, occasionally even appearing on the coast in small bays and estuaries.

Little grebes are diurnal birds; they are excellent swimmers and divers and pursue their prey underwater. They are clumsy on land and rarely come ashore. Little grebes are generally solitary and outside of the breeding season prefer to be singly or may sometimes gather in small groups of 5-30 individuals. These are very shy and wary birds and when disturbed they will dive or lurk into nearby vegetation. Little grebes are often heard by their loud whining trill and their 'bee-eep' calls.

Little grebes are monogamous breeders. This means that males will mate with only one female and females will mate with only one male. The time of breeding varies with location; in India, it usually occurs during the rainy season. They usually breed in small colonies and may produce 2-3 clutches per breeding season. Grebes nest at the water's edge, since their legs are set very far back and they cannot walk well. The nests are floating constructions of vegetation anchored to submerged water plants. Females lay four to seven eggs that are incubated by both parents within 20-25 days. When the adult bird leaves the nest it usually covers the eggs with weeds. This makes it less likely to be detected by predators. The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults. Little grebes become reproductively mature when they are 1 year old.

Little grebes are carnivores (insectivores, piscivores). Their diet consists of insects, small fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and amphibians.