{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.podicipedidae","code":"thing-q21695","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q21695/","name":"Podicipedidae","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Podicipedidae is the sole family of the order Podicipediformes, comprising the grebes: foot-propelled diving waterbirds with lobed (not webbed) toes, a vestigial tail, and a unique nest-and-chick biology.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise members of Podicipedidae, assess their aquatic life state and ecological dependencies, and determine evidence-supported observation, conservation or care actions.","scope":{"in":["Family membership, identification confidence and unresolved species assignments.","Grebe morphology, diving behaviour and context-dependent locomotor capability.","Aquatic habitat use, prey relationships and seasonal movement.","Breeding state, nest dependence and parent-chick relationships.","Individual condition, population evidence and constraints on intervention."],"out":["Complete species descriptions and species-specific diagnostic keys, owned by linked species models.","Waterbody hydrology, chemistry and wetland management as independent systems.","Full models of fish, aquatic invertebrates, predators and pathogens.","Veterinary diagnosis, treatment protocols and rehabilitation facility operations.","Legal instruments, permit administration and conservation programme governance."],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Where feet are visible, test for individually lobed toes and rear-set legs; lobed feet distinguish grebes from fully webbed-footed waterbirds but are insufficient alone. [Cornell identification account](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eared_Grebe/id/)","Test for a rudimentary tail lacking stiff tail feathers together with the grebe foot configuration when separating a grebe from a loon or auk; an obscured tail is unknown evidence, not an absent tail. [Family morphology account](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Podicipediformes/)","For duck-like candidates, combine bill shape, near-tailless outline and diving posture; do not require every grebe to have a slender bill, since Pied-billed Grebes have short, thick bills. [Cornell Pied-billed Grebe identification](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/id)","For a lobed-footed candidate such as a coot, require additional agreement with grebe leg placement and tail anatomy before accepting family identification. [Family morphology account](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Podicipediformes/)"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"grebe-identity","name":"Grebe identity","description":"Establish whether evidence supports Podicipedidae membership and how narrowly the organism can be identified.","layers":[{"id":"family-recognition","name":"Family recognition","description":"Evaluate the combination of visible characters supporting a grebe identification.","findings":[{"id":"diagnostic-character-combination","name":"Diagnostic character combination","description":"Record feet, leg placement, tail and bill evidence separately, including unavailable observations and plausible lookalikes.","questions":[{"text":"Which observed combination supports Podicipedidae rather than a loon, duck, coot or auk?","id":"diagnostic-character-combination-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which diagnostic features were actually visible, and what image, specimen or observer record supports them?","id":"diagnostic-character-combination-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"taxonomic-resolution","name":"Taxonomic resolution","description":"Bound the identification by authority, geography and developmental or seasonal appearance.","findings":[{"id":"supported-membership-resolution","name":"Supported membership resolution","description":"Keep family membership distinct from a tentative species label and preserve disagreements between classifications.","questions":[{"text":"Which taxonomic authority and version place the proposed species or genus within Podicipedidae?","id":"supported-membership-resolution-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Do age, plumage, locality or conflicting characters require retaining identification at family or genus level?","id":"supported-membership-resolution-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"aquatic-function","name":"Aquatic function","description":"Assess diving, surface behaviour and movement in their biological context.","layers":[{"id":"diving-and-surfacing","name":"Diving and surfacing","description":"Describe underwater activity and surface recovery without assuming a universal normal range.","findings":[{"id":"contextual-dive-performance","name":"Contextual dive performance","description":"Record dive sequences, apparent purpose and recovery alongside species uncertainty and water conditions.","questions":[{"text":"What dive durations, surface intervals and visible feeding outcomes were recorded over what observation period?","id":"contextual-dive-performance-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What species- and context-matched evidence is needed before interpreting this diving pattern as impaired?","id":"contextual-dive-performance-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"movement-capability","name":"Movement capability","description":"Separate observed movement from assumptions about flight, land mobility and access to water.","findings":[{"id":"capability-versus-impairment","name":"Capability versus impairment","description":"Assess apparent movement limitations using taxon, moult, setting and direct signs of injury.","questions":[{"text":"Is a movement limitation supported by direct observation, taxon-specific evidence, moult evidence or an inferred injury?","id":"capability-versus-impairment-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Does the bird's location and access to usable water warrant continued observation or qualified rescue assessment?","id":"capability-versus-impairment-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"waterbody-and-feeding-dependencies","name":"Waterbody and feeding dependencies","description":"Connect grebe occurrence to the water, prey and seasonal conditions supporting it.","layers":[{"id":"aquatic-site-use","name":"Aquatic site use","description":"Identify the function of an occupied waterbody and the conditions relevant to that function.","findings":[{"id":"site-function-and-access","name":"Site function and access","description":"Record whether use concerns feeding, nesting, resting, moult or passage, with uncertainty retained.","questions":[{"text":"What repeated behaviour supports the assigned site function rather than a brief occurrence?","id":"site-function-and-access-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which measured water-level, vegetation, salinity or access conditions are relevant to this taxon and activity?","id":"site-function-and-access-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"prey-use","name":"Prey use","description":"Describe observed feeding relationships without imposing a uniform fish-based diet.","findings":[{"id":"supported-feeding-dependency","name":"Supported feeding dependency","description":"Distinguish identified prey and observed capture from assumptions based on local prey availability.","questions":[{"text":"Which prey items were actually identified, by what method and with what confidence?","id":"supported-feeding-dependency-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What feeding rate or prey-availability evidence would support concern about food limitation at this site?","id":"supported-feeding-dependency-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"breeding-and-dependent-young","name":"Breeding and dependent young","description":"Represent nesting activity and the dependencies between adults, eggs and chicks.","layers":[{"id":"nest-state","name":"Nest state","description":"Assess nest association, occupancy and exposure to changing site conditions.","findings":[{"id":"nest-activity-and-stability","name":"Nest activity and stability","description":"Record observed nest material, support, adult attendance and reproductive stage without inferring contents from distant views.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence links this nest to the identified grebes and establishes construction, incubation, hatching or inactivity?","id":"nest-activity-and-stability-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What changes in water level, wave exposure or supporting vegetation could affect this particular nest?","id":"nest-activity-and-stability-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"chick-dependence","name":"Chick dependence","description":"Track young with caregivers and distinguish temporary separation from unsupported abandonment claims.","findings":[{"id":"caregiver-association","name":"Caregiver association","description":"Record feeding, proximity and any back-carrying as observed care behaviours; back-carrying is documented in Pied-billed Grebes. [Cornell life-history overview](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/overview)","questions":[{"text":"How many dependent young and associated caregivers were observed, including chicks potentially concealed on or near adults?","id":"caregiver-association-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What observation history and qualified guidance are needed before treating a separated chick as requiring intervention?","id":"caregiver-association-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"condition-conservation-and-action","name":"Condition, conservation and action","description":"Translate individual and population evidence into bounded responses.","layers":[{"id":"individual-concern","name":"Individual concern","description":"Identify observable impairment and determine the evidence needed for an appropriate response.","findings":[{"id":"exposure-and-response","name":"Exposure and response","description":"Keep entanglement, contamination, injury and unusual behaviour separate from unconfirmed diagnoses.","questions":[{"text":"What direct evidence documents impairment or exposure, and how has the bird's condition changed over time?","id":"exposure-and-response-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which qualified responder, local requirements and site-specific constraints govern any proposed handling or rescue?","id":"exposure-and-response-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"population-and-site-decisions","name":"Population and site decisions","description":"Assess local counts and conservation relevance at the correct taxonomic and spatial scale.","findings":[{"id":"interpretable-population-evidence","name":"Interpretable population evidence","description":"Require comparable survey effort, seasonal context and named assessment scope before assigning trends or conservation priorities.","questions":[{"text":"Are counts comparable after accounting for diving birds, survey coverage, season and movement between waterbodies?","id":"interpretable-population-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which current species or population assessment and documented site dependencies support the proposed conservation action?","id":"interpretable-population-evidence-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Podicipedidae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Podicipedidae this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Record grebe sightings and breeding success for monitoring schemes.","Report threats such as disturbance, oil spills or bycatch to wildlife authorities."],"mustNot":["Disturb floating nests or approach them by boat or drone during breeding.","Remove eggs, chicks or nests.","Drain or alter wetlands where grebes breed without permission.","Publish exact nest sites of rare species."],"requiresHuman":["Handling or rescuing a bird.","Managing water levels or vegetation at a breeding site."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Grebes were once hunted for their plumes; several species are now threatened or extinct.","Wetland loss and fishing nets still kill them."],"affectedParties":["The birds themselves","Wetland communities","Anglers and boaters"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: wild and protected by law; wildlife authorities monitor them.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Bird monitoring and species databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q3303681","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.podicipedidae","Wikidata: Q21695 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21695)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Taxonomic assignment: Podicipedidae membership; proposed genus or species; authority and version; confidence","Diagnostic character evidence: Toe lobation, leg placement, tail development and bill profile; each observed, obscured, contradictory or unexamined","Plumage and developmental context: Chick, juvenile, adult or unknown; breeding, nonbreeding, transitional or unknown plumage; moult evidence","Aquatic locomotor performance: Dive duration in seconds; dives per observation minute; surface recovery observations; observation conditions","Flight capability assessment: Flight observed; not assessed; suspected temporary limitation; documented taxon-level flightlessness; suspected injury","Waterbody use: Linked waterbody and locality; breeding, feeding, resting, moulting or passage use; date and evidence","Reproductive association: Pair, nest, eggs, dependent chicks and caregivers; confirmed, suspected or unknown association","Condition and exposure: Observed injury, entanglement, contamination, stranding, abnormal behaviour or no visible impairment; confidence and timestamp","Population observation: Individuals counted; survey area, duration, method and detection limitations"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Diving waterbirds with legs set far back and lobed, not webbed, toes.","Almost no visible tail.","Breeding plumage often with crests, ruffs or coloured ear tufts."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identify an observed bird to family and propose a species assignment with explicit alternatives and confidence.","Plan and record observation sessions that account for diving, seasonal appearance and breeding activity.","Relate feeding, resting and breeding observations to specific waterbody conditions.","Track nests, dependent chicks and local abundance without confusing observations with confirmed reproductive success.","Flag evidence of impairment or exposure and route it to an appropriately qualified responder.","Evaluate proposed habitat or observation actions against documented grebe dependencies and applicable external rules."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Drowning in fishing nets.","Nests swamped by boat wash or changing water levels.","Oiling from spills."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Directive 2009/147/EC issued by the European Parliament and the Council covers naturally occurring wild grebes within its European territorial scope and establishes protections for birds, eggs, nests and habitats."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Members of Podicipedidae occur on lakes, ponds and wetlands, with some species also using coastal waters outside the breeding season.","The family is used in bird identification and ecological research concerning diving adaptations, aquatic feeding and breeding behavior.","Conservation assessments examine their dependence on suitable water conditions, prey and nesting habitat."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Podicipedidae","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podicipedidae","note":"Family circumscription, genera, morphology, and breeding biology of grebes."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q21695: Podicipedidae","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21695","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Grebe","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grebe","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Which taxonomic authority and version should define included living, recently extinct and fossil members of this registry entry?","Which family recognition characters remain reliable for chicks, incomplete specimens and photographs where feet and tail are hidden?","What species-, age-, season- and habitat-specific baselines distinguish normal diving, moult and flight limitations from impairment?","How broadly do nest architecture, chick back-carrying and caregiver arrangements apply across the family, and which exceptions require species-level rules?","Which regional evidence supports disturbance limits, rescue thresholds and interpretation of grebe counts at breeding and nonbreeding sites?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q21695/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q21695/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T13:29:03Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:28+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 3 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}