NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas, 1764)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as the dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".
At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European, Asian, and African member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
Wikipedia contributors, Little grebe; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:54:54.111938+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas, 1764)
- Name authority
- (Pallas, 1764)
- Common name
- Little Grebe
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Podicipediformes
- Family
- Podicipedidae
- Genus
- Tachybaptus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPodicipediformes
- familyPodicipedidae Bonaparte, 1831
- genusTachybaptus Reichenbach, 1853
- speciesTachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas, 1764)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tachybaptus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Tricolored GrebeTachybaptus tricolor (G. R. Gray, 1861) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Australasian GrebeTachybaptus novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Madagascan GrebeTachybaptus pelzelnii (Hartlaub, 1861) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Alaotra GrebeTachybaptus rufolavatus (Delacour, 1932) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Podiceps ruficollis (Pallas, 1764) (Pallas, 1764) | synonym |
| Colymbus ruficollis Pallas, 1764 Pallas, 1764 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)
Southern Asia
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=563259 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:54C7M. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.