Hooded grebe

"The known history of the Hooded Grebe starts in 1974 when, almost by accident, renowned Argentinian naturalist Mauricio Rumboll discovered it at Los Escarchados Lake in the south-west corner of Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia. Rumboll found the new species to be one of the most colourful and striking grebes in the world, with a spectacular courtship display to rival that of its more famous cousin, Great Crested Grebe . . . During the early 2000s, concerns about the species started to increase. Naturalists and birders had more and more trouble finding it, both at its breeding and wintering sites . . . [The] species’ population currently numbers just 750 breeding adults – an 80% plummet since the 1980s . . . One of the greatest threats is something that affects all of the planet’s biodiversity, along with humanity itself: climate change. Its impacts can be seen in the incredibly fast reduction in the number of lakes available for the grebes to breed in." Another major threat to the Hooded grebe is the invasive American Mink, introduced to Patagonia in the early 20th century in order to generate fur production and stimulate area economy. Having never encountered a swimming mammal predator, the Hooded grebe was devastated by this introduction: "[the] most tragic record is 33 individuals killed in just one night, in an area which is now part of Patagonia National Park." While numbers of the hooded grebe remain low, there are significant conservation efforts underway working to control predator populations and the implementation of captive rearing programs, which is slowly showing positive signs towards future species recovery.