Grebes

On to Grebes, another not so complete account. There are seven Grebes found in North America. Of those the Least Grebe is quite rare, only found in the southernmost tip of Texas. The Red Necked Grebe is found only in the northernmost parts of Washington, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The Western, Eared, and Clark's Grebes are found mostly in the Western United States. The Horned Grebe migrates through the Eastern United States. And finally, the much more common and widespread Pied Billed Grebe found throughout North America. I had photos from my early days of Horned and Eared Grebes but can't seem to find them. Oh well. That just leaves three species I can show you. 


The Red Necked Grebe winters in calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes. They prefer shallow bodies of fresh water such as lakes, marshes or fish-ponds as breeding sites, though. Like all grebes, the Red-necked is a good swimmer, a particularly swift diver, and responds to danger by diving rather than flying. The feet are positioned far back on the body, near the tail, which makes the bird ungainly on land. It dives for fish or picks insects off vegetation; it also swallows its own feathers, possibly to protect the digestive system. 

Red Necked Grebe

photo taken at Puget Sound, Washington

The Western Grebe  is the largest of the North American Grebes. It's length is longer than its wingspan which is very rare for any bird. It can be easily confused with Clark's Grebe, but has black around the eyes and a straight greenish-yellow bill whereas the Clark's Grebe has white around the eyes and an up-turned bright yellow bill. The downy young of Western are grey; Clark's downy young are white. Western Grebes nest in colonies of hundreds on large inland lakes. It has a spectacular courtship display where two birds will rear up and patter across the water's surface. (In much the same way as I described the Loons on Plateau Lake in British Columbia). Northern birds migrate west to coastal regions in winter; birds in the southwest and Mexico typically are permanent residents. Like all Grebes they feed by diving for fish, mollusks, crabs, or amphibians.

Western Grebe

photo taken on Lake Samamish, Washington

The Pied Billed Grebe  is small, stocky, and short-necked. It has a short, blunt chicken-like bill, which in summer is encircled by a broad black band (hence the name). It is the only grebe that does not show a white wing patch in flight. Pied-billed Grebes feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and amphibians. Pied-billed Grebes have been shown to eat their own feathers to aid in digestion (prevent injury from small bones). It is found on open waters, ponds, marshes, and streams. It is usually the first grebe to arrive on northern inland waters in springtime, and the last to leave in autumn. It is rare on salt water. The Pied-billed Grebe breeds throughout North, Central, and South America. It creates an open bowl type nest in a platform of floating vegetation, loosely anchored by the cattails to float with the waves. When it leaves its nest it covers its eggs with vegetation. After a period of time the vegetation will stain the eggs and help conceal them better. Pied-billed Grebes are year-round residents in much of their range, though populations that breed in areas where their habitat freezes in winter will migrate to warmer regions. 

Pied Billed Grebe

photo taken at Sweetwater Wetlands, Arizona