grebes, rails, petrels, cormorants

Fulmarus glacialis (body 45 cm) Fulmar Gull-like in colouration of plumage; pale grey above and white elsewhere. Beak is yellow with grey tubular nostrils. Breeds in colonies on coastal cliffs; Overwinters either in similar habitats or out at sea. Widespread and often locally common. Image taken at ??????, Pembrokeshire .

Puffinus puffinus (body 35 cm) Manx shearwater Both adult and juvenile are black above and white below with a black beak. Colonial breeder on remote rocky coasts and islands coming ashore in the night to avoid predators; Overwinters far out at sea, even reaching Brazilian waters. Locally numerous where present. Image taken at Skomer Island, Marloes, Pembrokeshire .

Podiceps cristatus (body 45 cm) Great-crested grebe Podicipedidae Large slender necked grebe with elaborate courtship.Summer plumage is greyish brown above and white below with distinctive crest and tufts on the head. Winter plumage is greyish-brown above and white below and on the neck and face. Found in large reed fringed waters all year. Widespread and common. Image taken at Cotswold Water Park, Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire .

Tachybaptus ruficollis (body 25 cm) Little grebe Podicipedidae The smallest UK grebe. Dumpy looking with a short neck and no obvious tail. Summer plumage is gnerally brown with a chestnut throat and chin and a yellowish-white patch at the base of the beak. Winter plumage is brown above and white below. Found on rivers, canals, ditches, ponds, lakes and reservoirs all year. Widespread and common. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire . Images are (a) summer and (b,c) winter

Fulica atra (body 38 cm) Coot Adult is black with a white beak and forehead patch. Blueish-grey legs and distinctively lobed feet to aid swimming and diving. Juvenile is fluffy greyish-black above and white below. Regularly dives. Flies low over water and aggressively defends territory. Found on most types of freshwater including lakes and rivers. Common and widespread. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Gallinula chloropus (body 33 cm) Moorhen Adult is black with white bars on the flanks. The beak is red with a yellow tip. Legs are greenish-yellow. Does not dive. Flies low over water. Found in most freshwater habitats including lakes and rivers. Common and widespread. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Phalacrocorax carbo (body 90 cm) Cormorant Phalacrocoracidae Long necked bird that dives frequently. Adult is black with whie patches on the face in summer. Beak is yellow and the base consists of yellow facial skin. Winter plumagelacks any white patches. The juvenile is daark brown above with white patches on the throat and underparts. Breeds in colonies on isalnds and rocky cliffs at the coast or in trees near large lakes inland. Widespread and common. Image taken at Rhyl beach, Rhyl, Denbighshire . Images are (a, b) Adult and (c) Juvenile

Very diverse group of large waterbirds that feed on fish via diving into either freshwater lakes or the sea. The families include the Sulidae e.g. Gannets, Phalacrocoracidae e.g. Cormorants and the Pelecaniformes e.g. Pelicans.

Dumpy medium-sized waterfowl with long spidery toes that enable spreading of the body weight allowing walking across mudflats and floating vegetation. The feet are also very effective for swimming.

Ocean dwelling seabirds with characteristic beaks possessing two tubular nostrils. The family Procellariidae includes the Shearwaters and Fulmars that glide low over the sea with right-angled wings. The Petrels from the family Hydrobatidae are black and flutter low over the sea.

The grebes are specialised diving birds that are fairly short and plump with generally proportionally longer necks compared to the body. They possess dagger-shaped beaks used to catch fish and small wings. The powerful feet are near the rear where there is a short tail. Frequent divers. Nest on a floating raft of weeds moored to reeds. The courtships are generally noisy and very elaborate displays. The males and female differ slightly in plumage due to the male being brighter.