This Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) photographed while catching a sharp-ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl) at a small pond near Sidi Bettache, western Morocco (Saad Rih). The prey, also known as Iberian ribbed newt, is a near threatened Ibero-Moroccan endemic.
The Little Grebe is mainly piscivorous (fish-eater), although it’s known to take bigger prey such as newts (Wilkinson 2008) and even small mammals (Fisher 2005).
References:
- Fisher, R. 2005. Little Grebe swallowing small mammal. British Birds 98: 156.
- Wilkinson, C. 2008. Little Grebe catching newt. British Birds 101: 200.
Thanks Kyle for your comment!
Yes, it’s a pretty big prey for the little bird. As the cited references show, the species is known to catch some big preys now and then. But I think this won’t be a big problem for these secondary prey species.
Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact outcome of this encounter.