The great crested grebe was hunted nearly to extinction in Victorian Britain for its plumage, and its recovery underpinned the founding of what became the RSPB, making it a symbol of conservation history.
Great crested grebes depend on clear, fish-rich freshwater lakes and gravel pits for breeding. Disturbance by recreational watercraft during the April to July breeding season causes nest desertion and chick mortality. Lead fishing weights ingested by young birds searching for small fish cause poisoning. Water sports expansion on reservoirs and gravel pits represents the primary current welfare pressure on breeding pairs.