Podiceps cristatus infuscatus
The Great Crested Grebe is a relatively big (up to 1.5kg, 45-56cm long, with a wingspan of up to 73cm) waterbird inhabiting large bodies of open water (mostly dams, lakes and pans, and rarely rivermouths and protected bays) where they feed on fish, crustaceans, amphibians and aquatic insects pursued underwater.
Locally, breeding seems to occur at any time of the year, on platforms of floating plant material anchored to emergent plants such as reeds or in flooded thickets. These birds are well known for their elaborate mating display. Clutches usually contain only two eggs, and the chicks are often carried on the parents’ backs.
Great Crested Grebes have a wide distribution across Europe, Asia and Australasia, with a limited occurrence in Southern and East Africa. The IUCN estimates their population at as many as 1.4-million and considers the species of Least Concern. In years past this grebe suffered greatly due to hunting for the plume trade, but today gill-netting is a more serious threat to their survival, especially so in East Africa where they are now rare. Great Crested Grebes are locally common residents in South Africa and occur mostly on the central Highveld (Gauteng, Northwest, Mpumalanga and Free State Provinces) and the Eastern and Western Cape.
DeWetsWild 
I like your lead photo, it looks like you had some really nice light for these photos.
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We did, and I was very happy for it, thanks P J B!
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Dis so droog in die Kaap Almal kuier seker hier
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Dit raak omtrent n krisis nou, Tina!
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Ai ek hou nog heeltyd my duime vas.
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These are some great captures..
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Nice to see you around these parts again, Rob!
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Hoping to be back more regularly now that things are slowing down on the course… been missing it
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It´s a beautiful bird. We have many of theme here in Sweden, in the summer.
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That’s very interesting, John, thank you!
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Beautiful bird, de Wets.
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Pity they are so difficult to get good views of though, Jane – I’d love to get some better photos of them to do them real justice!
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Quite pretty.
janet
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Sad though to think that in years past people looked at them and thought exactly that, and then added “so let’s kill it and wear its feathers”…
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