Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks March · Grebes · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Little Grebe has been recorded in 1,973 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (66%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in March.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 30% or more of visits
- High
- 13% to 30%
- Moderate
- 5% to 13%
- Low
- under 5%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 88% | 13% | High |
| February | 84% | 13% | Very high |
| March | 88% | 14% | Very high |
| April | 72% | 11% | Low |
| May | 56% | 9% | Low |
| June | 49% | 8% | Low |
| July | 67% | 10% | Very high |
| August | 88% | 14% | Very high |
| September | 100% | 15% | Very high |
| October | 98% | 15% | Very high |
| November | 100% | 15% | Very high |
| December | 94% | 15% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| H15 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H98 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HP60 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY40 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J08 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J33 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J47 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NF71 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NF96 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |