Podiceps

Podiceps Temporal range: Aquitanian to present
Montage of eight species, featuring from left to right in three rows: P. cristatus, P. gallardoi, P. grisegena; P. auritus, P. nigricollis; P. taczanowskii, P. occipitalis, P. major.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Podicipediformes
Family:	Podicipedidae
Tribe:	Podicipedini
Genus:	Podiceps Latham, 1787
Type species
Colymbus cristatus[1] Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Pliodytes Brodkorb 1953 Dyas Lophaithyia Kaup 1829 Colymbus Linnaeus 1758 non Linnaeus 1766 non Paetel 1875 non Hadding 1913 Podiceps (Proctopus) Kaup. Centropelma Sclater & Salvin 1869 Dytes Kaup. Podicephorus Bochenski 1994

Podiceps is a genus of birds in the grebe family. The genus name comes from Latin podicis, "rear-end" and ped, "foot", and is a reference to the placement of a grebe's legs towards the rear of its body.

It has representatives breeding in all continents except Antarctica. Some species are partially or entirely migratory, moving in winter to the coast or warmer climates. Most species are widespread and overall common, but three South American species each are restricted to a single country; two of them are seriously threatened and a third is already extinct.

They breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes, nesting on the water's edge, since their legs are set too far back for easy walking. Usually two eggs are laid, and the striped young may be carried on the adult's back. All the genus are excellent swimmers and divers, and pursue their fish prey underwater. Adults have striking breeding plumage, with no difference between the sexes. In winter, the plumage is subdued whites and greys.