NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Alaotra Grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus (Delacour, 1932)
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.
Reconstitution d'un Grèbe roussâtre.
Totodu74 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Alaotra grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus), also known as Delacour's little grebe or rusty grebe, is an extinct species of grebe that was endemic to Lake Alaotra and surrounding lakes in Madagascar. Its extinction has been attributed primarily to the introduction of carnivorous fish into its native habitat, which likely preyed on the grebe or competed with it for food. The last confirmed sightings occurred in either 1983 or 1985, and the species was officially declared extinct in 2010.
Wikipedia contributors, Alaotra grebe; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:10:23.730659+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tachybaptus rufolavatus (Delacour, 1932)
- Name authority
- (Delacour, 1932)
- Common name
- Alaotra Grebe
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Podicipediformes
- Family
- Podicipedidae
- Genus
- Tachybaptus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extinct
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 rufolavatus (Delacour, 1932)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas, 1764) | PodicipedidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| 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 |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Podiceps rufolaratus Delacour, 1932 Delacour, 1932 | synonym |
| Podiceps rufolavatus Delacour, 1932 Delacour, 1932 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
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=563260 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.
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:54C7N. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.