Colombian Grebe

The Colombian Grebe, now extinct, was once an abundant but highly localised resident in reeded lakes of the Bogota wetlands on the east side of the Andes in Colombia.  The Colombian Grebe was affected severely due to loss of habitat and other anthropogenic threats. Habitat loss stemed from extensive drainage of wetlands and from agriculture-induced eutrophication of the wetlands, which destroyed open, submergent native reeds. This led to dense, homogenous growth of Elodea, an fast-growing invasive water weed.  Because of this, populations of the Colombian Grebe declined very rapidly in the mid twentieth century, and the species has not been documented in the wild since 1977, when two or three individuals were sighted on Lake Tota.