Grebes are excellent swimmers, specialized in catching fish and other aquatic animals underwater. On shallow, richly vegetated lakes and in shallow sea bays they replace larger grebes. Grebes have slender bodies, their legs placed far back, which makes diving easier. Underwater they are swift and agile, on land awkward. When they fly on their small wings (usually just above the water surface), it looks as if they need to exert quite a bit of effort to stay in the air. They feed on fish, aquatic insects and other aquatic animals and on vegetation. During the nesting season they build a floating nest from plant material.
In Europe five species of grebes live, all five can be observed there at Lake Cerknica with a little luck and perseverance. Two species – the eared grebe (Podiceps auritus) and the black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) – winter there at Lake Cerknica; the other three – the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), the crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) and the brown-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) – also nest there.
