During the breeding season this species frequents permanent and temporary (Snow and Perrins 1998) small, shallow, highly eutrophic pools with lush vegetation, such as freshwater marshes and lakes (Billerman et al. 2020) with dispersed submergent vegetation and patches of reeds (Konter 2001, Fjeldsa 2004), as well as ponds and fish ponds, sewage farms, quiet river backwaters and newly flooded areas (Billerman et al. 2020). In southern Russia it shows a preference for variably developed reed swamps and gypsotrophic lakes (alkaline waters with rich submergent vegetation such as Chara and Potamogeton pectinatus) (Fjeldsa 2004). Outside of the breeding season the species moves to salt lakes (Billerman et al. 2020), hyper-saline industrial evaporation ponds (Fjeldsa 2004) and reservoirs, or to coastal estuaries, arms of the sea, and inshore shallows in bays and channels (Snow and Perrins 1998).

The breeding season runs from April to August with peak egg-laying in May and June (Billerman et al. 2020). It usually nests colonially in thinly spaced, emergent marsh vegetation (such as Scirpus, Typha or sedge Carex), or on dense mats of floating waterweed, sometimes far from the shore (Fjeldsa 2004). The nest is a floating platform of aquatic vegetation anchored to emergent vegetation. It usually lays three or four eggs (Billerman et al. 2020). The species is carnivorous, its diet consisting of adult and larval insects, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians (Billerman et al. 2020), midges and brine-flies, nereid worms, small fish (Fjeldsa 2004) and snails (Konter 2001). This species is fully migratory (Snow and Perrins 1998), although the extent of migration varies between populations and some populations remain predominantly sedentary, such as in Spain (Billerman et al. 2020).

Although the generation length for both EU and Europe regional assessments were calculated using the same methodology, new information arriving after the EU assessments were undertaken gave rise to an update in the generation lengths. This new information was then used for the Europe level assessments giving rise to a difference between the generation lengths used for the EU and Europe regions.

In Europe, the species stronghold is the European part of Russia, with significant numbers in Ukraine, Spain, Belarus, France and Poland.

Conservation Actions Underway
The species was included in the Grebes Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published in 1997 (O'Donnel and Fjeldsa 1997).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Key international sites should be identified and protected and monitoring of population fluctuations implemented at these sites. Evaluate the potential of the species as a keystone indicator of wetland health (O'Donnel and Fjeldsa 1997). Power lines should be moved or made more visible to reduce collisions and predator control introduced at important breeding sites. Strict legislation on the transportation of oil should be implemented to reduce the risk of future spills.