Black-necked Grebe

The Black-necked Grebe is a small grebe with a slender, slightly upturned bill and a peaked forehead. Breeding adults have a black head and neck, red eyes and spectacular fans of golden feathers behind the eyes, with rich chestnut flanks. Winter birds become grey and white but retain the dark cap, white cheeks and characteristic head shape (Wikipedia, general species account).

Black-necked Grebes breed colonially on shallow, productive lakes and ponds, building floating nests among vegetation. They dive for aquatic insects, crustaceans and small fish, and may pick prey from the surface. Outside breeding, large flocks gather on saline lakes and sheltered marine water. Migratory birds reach Japanese lakes, reservoirs and coastal bays, chiefly during the winter months (Wikipedia, general species account).