Bird call
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) call
A loud, whinnying trill, like a horse laughing, from a small dumpy bird on ponds and slow rivers.
Listen to the Little Grebe call
A field recording of the Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) by Mike Kerry, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Little Grebe in wetland habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Little Grebe
These birds belong to the grebe family, like the Little Grebe, so their calls can sound alike.
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Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
A long whinnying series of cow notes that slows and falls away.
Questions
Questions about the Little Grebe
What does the Little Grebe sound like?
A loud, whinnying trill, like a horse laughing, from a small dumpy bird on ponds and slow rivers. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Little Grebe?
The Pied-billed Grebe sounds similar.
Where can I hear the Little Grebe?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of England course.
How can I learn the Little Grebe call?
In SongLark's Birds of England course, it comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Little Grebe in its Birds of England course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of England, the Little Grebe comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. That Level is about park lakes, rivers and the seashore.
Learn it with these birds in Level 6 of Birds of England
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Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
The classic duck's 'quack-quack-quack', loud and descending from the female; drakes give soft, rasping notes.
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Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Mostly quiet; snorts and hisses on the water, and a loud, throbbing hum from its wings in flight.
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Canada Goose Branta canadensis
A loud, honking 'ah-honk', given in noisy chorus from flocks on park lakes and in flight.
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Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
A sharp, explosive 'kowk' or 'pik'; a black waterbird with a white face shield.
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Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
A harsh, croaking 'fraaank!', usually in flight; a tall grey bird standing still in shallow water.
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Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
A harsh, screeching 'kraaar' from noisy flocks on lakes, fields and coasts.
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European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
The seaside's loud, laughing 'kyow-kyow-kyow' and long calls, now also on town rooftops.
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Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
A loud, piercing 'kleep-kleep-kleep', often in excited piping duets along the shore.
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Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
A rising, bubbling 'cour-lee' that gives it its name, haunting over moors and estuaries.
Get SongLark
Learn Little Grebe in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Little Grebe.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.