Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is a small grebe with red eyes, golden ear tufts, a black head and chestnut neck in breeding plumage. The combination of body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provides the most useful field characters. Age, sex and season can alter its appearance, so identification should use several features rather than colour alone. This supports comparison with similar species in the field (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds on northern ponds and marshes, dives for fish and invertebrates, and winters on larger lakes and coasts. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds more likely to gather where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant, visitor or introduced bird (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).