Sungrebe
Encyclopedia
The Sungrebe or American Finfoot (Heliornis fulica) is a bird
which breeds in tropical Central
and South America
from southern Mexico
to northeast Argentina
and southern Brazil
.
It is the only member of the genus Heliornis (Bonnaterre
, 1791), and the Heliornithidae
family to which it belongs contains just two other species, the African Finfoot, Podica senegalensis, and the Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata, which breeds in eastern India
down through southeast Asia
to the Wallace Line
.
These tropical birds of swamps and marshes have webbed lobes on their feet similar to grebe
s and coot
s.
The Sungrebe is a small slim-bodied water bird, typically 28–31 cm long and weighing 130 g. It is mainly brown, with a long neck and blackish tail, and a long red bill. The crown and neck are strikingly patterned with black and white stripe, and the feet are black and yellow. The sexes differ in the colour of the cheeks, buff in the female and white for the male.
They are shy birds which swim in slow-flowing streams and secluded waterways, sometimes partly submerged, like an Anhinga
. They dive well, but rarely fly unless alarmed. The twig nest is built low in a bush over water; three or four brown-mottled cinnamon eggs are laid, and incubated for about eleven days. The chicks hatch naked, blind, and defenseless. The father, alone, possesses specialized pockets, or pouches, one under each wing, which carry the helpless young, even in flight.http://montereybay.com/creagrus/sungrebes.html
The Sungrebe feeds on a variety of aquatic life. fish and water plants. It is usually silent, but has a breeding season honking call, eeooo eeooo eeooo.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
which breeds in tropical Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
from southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to northeast Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
It is the only member of the genus Heliornis (Bonnaterre
Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre
Abbé Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre was a French naturalist who contributed sections on cetaceans, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects to the Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique...
, 1791), and the Heliornithidae
Heliornithidae
The Heliornithidae are a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet like those of grebes and coots. The family overall are known as finfoots, although one species is known as a Sungrebe. The family is composed of three species in three genera.-Description:Finfoots resemble...
family to which it belongs contains just two other species, the African Finfoot, Podica senegalensis, and the Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata, which breeds in eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
down through southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
to the Wallace Line
Wallace Line
The Wallace Line separates the ecozones of Asia and Wallacea, a transitional zone between Asia and Australia. West of the line are found organisms related to Asiatic species; to the east, a mixture of species of Asian and Australian origin is present...
.
These tropical birds of swamps and marshes have webbed lobes on their feet similar to grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
s and coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
s.
The Sungrebe is a small slim-bodied water bird, typically 28–31 cm long and weighing 130 g. It is mainly brown, with a long neck and blackish tail, and a long red bill. The crown and neck are strikingly patterned with black and white stripe, and the feet are black and yellow. The sexes differ in the colour of the cheeks, buff in the female and white for the male.
They are shy birds which swim in slow-flowing streams and secluded waterways, sometimes partly submerged, like an Anhinga
Anhinga
The Anhinga , sometimes called Snakebird, Darter, American Darter, or Water Turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word "anhinga" comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means devil bird or snake bird.It is a cormorant-like bird with an average body length of , a...
. They dive well, but rarely fly unless alarmed. The twig nest is built low in a bush over water; three or four brown-mottled cinnamon eggs are laid, and incubated for about eleven days. The chicks hatch naked, blind, and defenseless. The father, alone, possesses specialized pockets, or pouches, one under each wing, which carry the helpless young, even in flight.http://montereybay.com/creagrus/sungrebes.html
The Sungrebe feeds on a variety of aquatic life. fish and water plants. It is usually silent, but has a breeding season honking call, eeooo eeooo eeooo.
External links
- Sungrebe videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection