The Dance Of The Western Grebes

Each and every one of the living beings on Earth are created with miraculous and amazing features. One of the evidences revealing Allah’s flawless artistry of Creation is the water bird known as the western grebe.

The Western Grebe performs a spectacular display, sometimes referred to as the “Rushing Ceremony” and the “Weed Ceremony”.  During the Rushing Ceremony, two birds swim side by side and then lunge forward with the body completely out of water to run rapidly across the water for up to 20 meters. Their wings are lifted but not extended. The run ends with a dive. The Weed Ceremony occurs late in pair-formation. The grebes usually stare at one another while in an erect posture with the crest raised and bill held nearly horizontal. As the display proceeds, the posture becomes more rigid. From this neck-stretched posture, one or both of the grebes suddenly dives to return to the surface with weeds still in the erect posture. When both grebes have weeds, they approach each other  with feet churning the water to rise into a vertical posture with most or all of their bodies out of water. Their necks are outstretched and their bills raised above the horizontal. The grebes move slowly forward, sometimes spiraling, while their heads rotate from side to side. The display ends when one grebe discards its weeds .

No doubt our Almighty Lord, Who is infinitely wise, compassionate and merciful, creates such flawless aesthetics and beauty in these birds and grants the systems in their bodies allowing them to perform the spectacular displays they are renowned for .

He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr, 24)