"Those who are unfamiliar with grebes tend to think of them as add ducks, but their strange behaviours reveal them to be intriguing birds. Grebes are unusual and unique in many ways, their habit of feather-eating; their method of sunbathing; their special method of underwater propulsion, the unusual structure of their feet, their courtship behaviour, and their floating ousts. As the birds are dependent upon shallow wetlands, they are strongly affected and threatened by out use of their habitats, leading to dwindling populations and even extinction of some species." "In this new addition to the Bird Families of the World series Jon Fjeldsa, a renowned expert, provides an overview of all the research that has been long on grebes."--Jacket.