We don’t see Australasian Crested Grebes in the North Island. They’re impressive waterbirds that look ridiculous on land because their legs are set very far back on their bodies! It makes them powerful underwater hunters though, and they snap up small fish with ease.

On the advice of a photographer we met briefly, Dad and I scoped out Kelland Pond, just outside of Twizel. It was a perfect spot, and after circumnavigating the small lake we found a great vantage point to photograph this pair. They were sleeping on the water, and we didn’t think they were going to do anything interesting. After a while they woke up and started drifting around, diving, and saying hello, as above. It’s amazing what you get to see if you can have a little patience.

They definitely have the best hairstyle of any of our native waterbirds. They’re listed as Nationally Vulnerable, but their numbers have been increasing since a low of 200 in the 1980’s. Australasian Crested Grebes are just one of our many birds threatened by introduced predators, and also human disturbance to their habitats.