French Taxidermied Little Grebe in winter plumage

French Taxidermied Little Grebe in winter plumage  - Tachybaptus ruficollis - 1940's mounted on wooden stand

The smallest of the grebes, Little Grebes have a very dumpy body, a short neck, tiny straight bill and no ornamental head feathers, giving a rounded shape to the head. They swim buoyantly with feathers often fluffed out at rear giving a powder-puff effect. In breeding adults' the throat and cheeks are a bright chestnut, the fleshy gap patch takes on a pale colour and the body becomes a rich dark brown above and paler below. Out of the breeding season birds are less striking with the neck taking on a buff-brown colour and the body becoming dull brown above and paler below.

The Little Grebe is also known as the "Dabchick" and is found on open bodies of water across Europe.

This little specimen is from 1940s France. Mounted on a piece of painted plaster afixed to a slice of a branch ( small amount of bark now missing see photos ), it measures 11" / 280mm high 9" / 228mm long and 4" / 10mm wide. He is posed standing almost upright, just as you might see him in the wild. The weight without packaging is 580g.

The item will be carefully packed ( if possible using recycled materials ) and shipped using the Irish Postal system An Post.

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