Little Grebe

The little grebe, also called the dabchick, is a compact waterbird and the smallest European member of the grebe family. It measures about twenty-three to twenty-nine centimetres long. Its scientific name refers to rapid diving and to the reddish neck displayed in breeding plumage. Accepted subspecies vary chiefly in size, eye colour and the amount of white in the secondary wing feathers, so those features can differ across the species' extensive geographic range. (Wikipedia, general species account)

Little grebes are associated with open bodies of water across much of Europe, Africa and Asia. Their low profile and diving ability are central to how they use this aquatic habitat, and the genus name Tachybaptus literally combines Greek words for fast and sinking under. Northern populations of the nominate form are migratory, whereas others are resident. The species was originally described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and is now placed with four other living species in Tachybaptus. (Wikipedia, general species account)