The elegant waterbird that nearly vanished to satisfy the fashion for feathered hats

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The great crested grebe is a master of aquatic courtship, famous for its synchronized head-shaking and chest-to-chest weed offerings. Yet, this striking bird once faced near-extinction in the United Kingdom. Driven by the Victorian obsession with ornate plumage for millinery, the species was pushed to the very brink of collapse.

The great crested grebe, or Podiceps cristatus, is a large, elegant waterbird known for its distinctive head plumes and elaborate mating rituals. These birds are highly specialized for life on the water, possessing feet positioned far back on their bodies, which makes them excellent divers but notoriously clumsy on land. Their diet consists primarily of fish, though they also consume small crustaceans, insects, and amphibians. While they are widespread across Europe and the Palearctic, their survival has not always been guaranteed.

In the late 1800s, the species faced a catastrophic decline in the United Kingdom. The overwhelming demand for their decorative head feathers to adorn ladies' hats and garments drove the population toward total extermination. This crisis sparked a significant conservation movement, leading to the formation of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Their advocacy eventually secured the Plumage Prohibition in 1921, a landmark legislative success that helped the species recover. Today, the grebe is classified on the UK’s Green List, representing the lowest level of conservation concern.

Beyond their history of exploitation, these birds are celebrated for their complex ethology. In 1914, Julian Huxley published a foundational study on their courtship habits, which remains a cornerstone of avian behavioral science. Their mating display is a sophisticated performance involving synchronized head-tossing and a ritualized exchange of water weeds while pressed chest-to-chest. Once the eggs hatch, the parents continue their devoted care, often carrying their striped chicks on their backs to teach them how to dive and swim. This blend of vulnerability and resilience has made them an enduring symbol of successful wildlife protection efforts.

The species has recently gained renewed global attention through cultural channels. In 2023, the bird—known as pūteketeke in New Zealand—won the country's Bird of the Year competition after a high-profile campaign. This resurgence in public interest highlights how a species once hunted for vanity has transformed into a cherished icon of natural history, proving that targeted conservation can reverse even the most dire ecological trends.

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