Grebe – North American Nature

There are over twenty species of grebes worldwide, but only a few live in the U.S. and Canada. Grebes are widespread throughout North America and can be seen in many locations. In winter, grebes can be seen along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. There are seven species of grebe in North America. These are the least grebe, pied-billed grebe, horned grebe, red-necked grebe, eared grebe, Western grebe, and Clark's grebe. Grebes are fantastic swimmers and divers. Grebes expel air from the body and their feathers so that they can swim below the surface. This is an excellent technique for keeping safe. They can also lower themselves in the water by altering their specific gravity. This allows them to have their head or bill showing. Grebes prefer to stay away from saltwater and prefer fresh water and can be found on lakes and ponds. If you or someone you know loves birds then check out these great bird gifts on Amazon by clicking here Photo by Ott Rebane Flick CC by 2.0 Several species of grebes are fully aquatic and do not set foot on land in their lives. Some grebes species build their nests on the water, tethered to a nearby overhang, or growth from below. The floating nests serve a few purposes. First, they do not get flooded, such as nests on land, but float on top of the water. The nests are made out of vegetation, and as this rots, it creates heat. This heat helps to incubate the eggs. Grebes have short wings and are not good flyers. Their feet, rather than being fully webbed, have broad lobes. The lobal membrane outlines the three front toes. Grebes have legs that are attached far back on the body. This does not allow them to move well on land. They also have a short tail and are known as tailless water birds. The feathers are vestigial and almost invisible. The plumage of grebes is striking and colorful. Grebes have an elaborate courtship and are thought to have some of the most amazing courtship rituals. Some species of grebes eat their feathers, although it is unknown why. Their stomachs can contain large numbers of feathers. Others, such as the Western grebe, run side by side over the water with their mate. Other species use songs that are sung by the male and female as a duet. There are five species of loon in North America. Find out what they are in this article I wrote Least Grebe Photo by Dan Van Den Broek Flickr CC by 2.0 The least grebe measures 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) and has a gray head, neck, and underparts in summers. They are a buff color on the flanks, which is barred. The least grebe has yellow eyes and a dark bill which is very small. In winter, the least grebe becomes lighter in color with a white throat. They can be found in ponds, preferring them to be overgrown. They use ponds and pools for breeding between March and September. Their nests are a mass of vegetation that can be found around pond growth. They usually lay between 2 to 7 white eggs. The eggs usually hatch around 21 days—both the male and female look after the eggs while incubating. The least grebe can be found in Texas, where they also breed. The least grebe stays local and does not migrate. They have a distinctive sound, much like a clanging note. Birds are diverse in their size, colors, diet, and other ways. Find out more in this article I wrote Pied-billed Grebe Photo by Becky Matsubara Flickr CC by CC by 2.0 The pied-billed grebe is a large, chunky species measuring 12-15 inches (30-38 cm). Their name comes from their large, stout, conical bill. In summer, they are brown on their upper with buff or barred brown flanks. In winter, the throat and bill are white, but in summer, the neck has a black patch, and the bill is pale with a vertical black bar. They have an eye-ring which is pale throughout the year. The pied-billed grebe lives in ponds, slow-moving streams, swamps, shallow bays of lakes with emergent and aquatic vegetation during the hotter months. Still, in winter, they prefer larger freshwater areas, along with saltwater estuaries, bays, and tidal creeks. They breed in freshwater ponds, bays, and lakes between April and May. They use a floating nest of plant material that is attached to vegetation. They have between five to seven eggs, which come in white, green, or light blue. Both the male and the female share incubation duties and last between 21 to 24 days. The pied-billed grebe breeds throughout the United States and up into southern Canada. The pied-billed grebe does migrate, leaving when ice begins to form in the northern and central parts of their range in winter. They return in spring when the ice begins to melt. They can be extremely noisy in spring, with a loud voice. Their call sounds like kow-kow-kow repeated a dozen times, which speeds up to kow-uh by the end of the dozen or so calls. There are six species of quail in North America. Find out what they are in this article I wrote Horned Grebe Photo by Connor Man Flickr CC by 2.0 The horned grebe is strikingly beautiful and colorful. The horned grebe measures 12-14 inches (31-36 cm). They have a golden crest extending from their eyes in summer with a black head. Their neck and underparts are rust red. In the colder winter months, they have a white fore neck and underparts and are darker above. They have a thick, pointed, straight bill. In summer, the horned grebe likes to live in freshwater ponds and protected bays and lakes. In winter, however, they prefer inshore saltwater, closer but not on the coast. They breed between May and June in overgrown bays, marshes, and lakes. There is usually one nest in a pond. They use a floating nest, which they tether to plants in the water. Both the male and female look after the eggs, which hatch between 20-25 days. The horned grebe nest can have up to 10 eggs in it at one time, although this can also be as low as 3. Two females may use the same nest when there are more than 5 eggs. Eggs are usually bluish-white The horned grebe breeds in western Canada, except in the bitterly cold north. They migrate to the northern United States in winter to the Atlantic coast, the Gulf Coast, and California on the Pacific coast. They eat a variety of aquatic insects along with crustaceans and small fishes in the winter. The horned grebe makes many different squealing noises. There are three species of cuckoo in North America. Find out what they are in this article I wrote Red-necked Grebe Photo by Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Flickr CC by 1.0 The red-necked grebe gets its name from its distinctive rust-red neck. They have a black cap and a silver face in summer. However, in winter, their neck becomes dusky, and their face becomes whitish. The red-necked grebe is a medium-sized grebe measuring 15 1/2 inches (40-46 cm). They have a large yellowish bill that is straight or downcurved and tapers to a point. They can be found around marshes, slow-moving rivers, and lakes with emergent vegetation in summer. Still, in winter, they can be found around inshore saltwater coastal regions, sometimes many miles inshore. They breed from May-June in lakes and marshes. Both members of the pair share incubation duties, which lasts 23 days. They lay between 3-7 white eggs in a nest of vegetation around marshland plants. They are a noisy breed of grebe and make wailing noises and a loud keck-keck sound during the breeding season. They eat crayfish, tadpoles, minnows, small fish, and crustaceans, along with aquatic insects. The red-necked grebe can be found from Alaska to the Great Lakes and down to the United States border. During winter, they may migrate to the Atlantic coast and be found on the Pacific coast down to California. There are at least 22 species of owl in North America. Find out what they are in this article I wrote Eared Grebe Photo by Dan Flickr CC by 2.0 The eared grebe is slightly smaller than the horned grebe at 11-13 inches (28-33 cm). Unlike the horned grebe, they have a black head, breast, and neck. Their flanks are a rust color. They have a gold fan on the sides of their head. In winter, the rusty flanks turn darker, with the underneath white. They also have a dusky color at the front of their neck in winter and a dark cap. They have a bill that is uptilted. The eared grebe lives on the coast and larger lakes in winter, but in summer can be found in marshes and the shallower parts of ponds. They have a floating nest made of soggy plants, and many nests can be found together. They lay between 1-6 bluish or greenish-white eggs with an incubation period between 20 and 22 days. Both males and females look after the eggs during this period. Breeding happens between May and June in freshwater lakes, and nests can be found close together, sometimes with other species. The eared grebe can be found in the western regions of Canada and the United States. They migrate down into warmer climates of Mexico and the gulf coast states. Their sound consists of loud notes and a quiet sound like a poo-cep or co-eeeek. The eared grebe feeds mainly on aquatic insects during the summer and crustaceans in the winter. Nightjars are fascinating birds. Find out how they hunt in this article I wrote. Western Grebe Photo by Becky Matsubara Flickr CC by 2.0 The Western Grebe is the largest grebe species in North America, with measurements of 22-29 inches (56-74cm). They are easily identified by their size and have a long neck and upturned bill. They are dark gray on their upperparts and the back of their neck, which leads to a black cap. The black cap extends below the eye, something which it doesn't do on the smaller Clark’s grebe. The Western Grebe has a white fore neck and face. The Western grebe can be found in coastal saltwater bays and freshwater lakes during winter. They can also be found on freshwater lakes in summer. They breed on freshwater lakes between May and June. They lay 3 or 4 bluish-white eggs. The incubation period is 23 days, with both the male and female looking after the eggs. They can be found on the lakes in the west of Canada and the United States and migrate from British Columbia to as far down as Mexico. They make a kr-r-rick or creek-creek sound, which is easily recognizable. As with other grebes, they eat aquatic insects during the summer and crustaceans during the winter. They do eat more fish than other species. Deer use their antlers in many ways. Find out more in this article I wrote Clark’s Grebe Photo by Becky Matsubara Flickr CC by CC by 2.0 The Clark’s grebe is very similar to the Western grebe. The size is also very similar at 22 inches (56cm). The main difference between the Western Grebe and Clark’s grebe is that the black cap does not extend below the eye on Clark’s grebe. The bill is also more yellow-orange on Clark’s grebe. Their habitat is also very similar, with summer spent on lakes and coastal areas during the winter. They can be found more in the northern and eastern parts of the range. Their sounds, breeding, nests, and incubation period are so similar that they were only recognized as a separate species from the Western grebe in the 1980s. For more information on grebes and other birds of North America, I recommend the following field guides. Flowers smell lovely, but do you know why? Find out more in this article I wrote