Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica)
About the Sungrebe
The sungrebe or American finfoot (Heliornis fulica) is a small aquatic gruiform found in the tropical and subtropical Americas from northeastern Mexico to central Ecuador and southern Brazil. The sungrebe is now the only species placed in the genus Heliornis that was erected by the French naturalist Pierre Bonnaterre in 1791 with the sungrebe as the type species. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek hēlios meaning "sun" and ornis meaning "bird". The specific epithet fulica is Latin for "coot". These waterfowl have broad lobes on their feet, convergent to that of grebes or coots, that they use to propel themselves in the water. They are reclusive birds, preferring well-covered slow-flowing streams and secluded waterways, sometimes swimming partly submerged, like an anhinga.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 45 recordings for this species: 1 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American KestrelFalco sparveriusrecording
- Ash-throated CrakeMustelirallus albicollisrecording
- BananaquitCoereba flaveolarecording
- Band-winged NightjarSystellura longirostrisrecording
- Barn SwallowHirundo rusticarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.