A male Great Crested Grebe in profile. The bird swam too close to the camera for all of him to be in shot, so the image is mainly of his head and neck. He is in full breeding plumage - the back of his neck and the visible area of his back are mottled pinky-brown, shading round to white on the front of his throat. His cheek is white, and the rest of his face is deep russet red. His long, pointed bill is dark pink and his eye is red. He has a crest of black feathers stretching back from the top of his bill, and a curtain of long drooping russet red feathers, shading to black, hanging from below his jawline to about a third of the way down his long, slender neck. This is only seen in adult birds during the breeding season, and is called a tippet.

Profile:
www.blipfoto.com/entry/334392...

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