Junín Grebe

With a size of approximately 35 cm (14 in), the Junin grebe has a dark grey crown extending down the back of its neck to a black back. It has white lower parts of the face, neck and underparts, with a narrow grey bill. Perhaps the most striking feature is its bright red eyes. On the side of the head of adults there are silvery grey feathers, which are absent on non-breeding adults and juveniles. The Junin grebe closely resembles the smaller, shorter-necked and shorter-billed northern silvery grebe, which also is found in Lake Junin. The calls of the Junin grebe include melodic whistles doo' ith, wit, and a longer phooee-th when trying to attract a mate.

Junin grebes are found only in and around Lake Junin, in west-central Peru. The lake covers approximately 140 km2 (54 sq mi) and at its deepest is 10 m (33 ft) deep, although most of the lake is less than 5 m (16 ft) deep. Around the borders of the lake are substantial reed marshes, where the grebes nest and roost.

About 90% of the diet of the Junin grebe is small fish, especially those less than 2.5 cm (1 in) long, with the remaining part of its diet being small invertebrates. Fish are caught with its excellent diving skills, but insects may also be caught at the surface. They can be often seen feeding and diving simultaneously in small groups.