Podiceps grisegena; red-necked grebe

Japanese: アカエリカイツブリ（英語表記）Podiceps grisegena; red-necked grebe

Grebes, Petunia family. Total length 40-56cm. There are two subspecies. The bill is pointed, yellow at the base, and black at the tip, but the North American subspecies has a larger yellow area. In winter plumage (→ Plumage), the top of the head and back are gray-brown, and the underside is white and plain. In summer plumage, the top of the head is black, the cheeks and throat are light gray, and the neck is a prominent reddish-brown. The back is black-brown. They breed widely in the mid- and high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from central Europe, eastern Russia, and northeastern China to western Canada and the northern United States. In winter, they migrate to eastern Europe, southeastern Russia, East Asia, and the United States (→ Migratory birds). They nest in freshwater lakes and ponds. The hatched chicks are raised on the backs of the parents for about two weeks. In the non-breeding season, they spend their time in large lakes and ponds, as well as in river mouths and bays, and can also be seen around offshore islands. In Japan, they breed in small numbers in the lakes and marshes of Hokkaido, and in winter, small numbers can be seen in coastal waters south of Honshu. They mainly feed on insects, shrimp, and shellfish.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

カイツブリ目カイツブリ科。全長 40～56cm。2亜種がある。嘴は先がとがり，基部が黄色で，先が黒いが，北アメリカの亜種は黄色の部位が広い。冬羽（→羽衣）は頭頂から背が灰褐色で，腹面が白く地味である。夏羽では頭上が黒く，頬と喉が淡い灰色で，頸がよく目立つ赤褐色になる。背は黒褐色。ヨーロッパ中央部，ロシア東部，中国北東部からカナダ西部，アメリカ合衆国北部など北半球の中・高緯度地域に広く繁殖分布する。冬季はヨーロッパ東部，ロシア南東部，東アジア，アメリカなどに渡って過ごす（→渡り鳥）。淡水の湖沼で営巣する。孵化した雛は親鳥の背で 2週間ほど育てられる。非繁殖期は大きな湖沼のほか河口や湾内などで過ごし，沖合いの島の周辺にも見られることがある。日本では北海道の湖沼で少数が繁殖し，冬季には少数ながら本州以南の各地の沿岸海域でも観察される。おもに昆虫やエビ，貝などを食べる。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

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