- Lifespan
- 5–10 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 25–29 cm, wingspan 43–49 cm; 120–180 g
- Habitat
- Small freshwater bodies including ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and slow-moving rivers with emergent vegetation and reed beds.
- UK Distribution
- Found year-round throughout much of the UK, with populations increasing in winter due to continental migrants; resident breeders are supplemented by birds from Europe.
- Diet
- Primarily aquatic invertebrates including insects, crustaceans, and small fish caught by diving.
- Prey
- Aquatic insect larvae (chironomids, damselfly nymphs), small fish, freshwater shrimp, and water beetles
- Predators
- Pike, perch, herons, cormorants, foxes, and birds of prey such as sparrowhawks
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Clutch size 4–6 eggs; incubation period 20–21 days; typically 1–2 broods per season; chicks fledge at 44–48 days
- Behaviour
- Highly aquatic and reluctant to fly, preferring to dive when alarmed; often solitary or in pairs outside breeding season. Produces loud, distinctive trilling calls, particularly during breeding season. Builds floating nests woven from aquatic vegetation anchored to reeds or submerged branches.