Atitlan Grebe

Was a water bird that used to live in the lake of Atitlan, Guatemala. It is a duck-like bird also known as: Giant grebe, Giant pied-billed grebe, or poc. It is not as big as someone could imagine it. It has a line on its peak which is also small. There used to be about 200 living in the lake but it drastically dropped to 80 by the 1960s. in 1975 the number grew to about 232 and was good and stable, But years after the population dropped to 30.






Its common name is Atitlan grebe but it had three other names that could be used also. The species name author was Griscom and was given in 1929 by him. The family of the bird was Podicipedidae or also known by grebe which is easier.




The bird is native from Guatemala which is where the species ended by the way. They lived in the lake Atitlan which is one of the most known lakes in Guatemala although it is dirty and contaminated.

 

The species is now extinct because of the fault of the humans. Tourism was one of the factors that helped the species to be extict. The dropping of the lake water level and followed by an earthquake are another two reasons. And also diseases and the fishing are more factors.



The category/criteria of the bird by the IUCN started by threatened in 1988. In 1994 it was declared extinct which means that there is no more of that species, not even one.

The characteristics for this criteria to be met is that there is not even one of it's kind living on Earth.





Its common name is Atitlan grebe but it had three other names that could be used also. The species name author was Griscom and was given in 1929 by him. The family of the bird was Podicipedidae or also known by grebe which is easier.