Australasian Crested Grebe
Crested grebes are moderate sized water birds that may be mistaken for waterfowl or shags at a distance. Both sexes have a long, slender neck, fine black bill and head with a distinctive black double crest and bright chestnut and black cheek frills. The upper plumage is a dark chestnut-brown, the under parts silvery white, and the wings have a distinctive white patches that are only seen in flight. Unlike birds in Europe, they appear to retain full breeding plumage throughout the year and duller birds without crests are probably young of the year. The feet have a peculiar lobed structure and are set relatively far back on the body – a design to increase the efficiency and speed of diving. The head and neck of the young are striped black-and-white and the body plumage is grey. Original public domain image from Flickr