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Western Grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalisOrder: PODICIPEDIFORMESFamily: Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Western Grebe Portrait
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Range Map for Western Grebe

Overview

Western Grebe: Large, long-necked grebe with dark gray upperparts, white underparts, gray sides and flanks. Lower face and front of neck are white; black cap extends below eye. Back of neck is black. Eyes are red. Bill is long, thin, and dull olive-yellow. Wings have white stripes visible in flight.

Range and Habitat

Western Grebe: Breeds from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Minnesota south to southern California. Occasionally found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Spends winters along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to California, on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas, and on large river systems in the west. Preferred habitats include large lakes with reeds or rushes, shallow coastal bays, and estuaries.

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Listen:

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Voice Text

"kr-r-rick, kr-r-rick"

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Recommended Products:

Audubon North American Bird Feeder Guide
Enjoy the fascinating world of wild birds in your own backyard garden. You'll find inspiration and guidance throughout these pages and learn how to create a bird-friendly habitat - even in the smallest of gardens. Share the insights of two well-known authorities: Robert Burton, naturalist and writer, and Stephen Kress, ornithologist. You'll learn how to plant a bird-friendly garden; select beneficial flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. There are also tips for installing hanging birdfeeders, deterring cats and squirrels, proper placement of ground feeders, building feeders, serving enticing nutritious foods and setting up bird baths. Identify each colorful new comer to the garden with the helpful detailed drawings of over 100 common backyard birds. Illustrations include: size, shape, color, and there's both a flying and folded wings pose. It's interesting to read about changes in bird behavior and activities during important events such as fall migration, courtship rituals and spring nesting season. Includes maps to show the seasonal range of each species. Published in association with the National Audubon Society. Hardcover, 224 pages.
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
The Kaufman Field Guide is a true field guide: a pocket-sized book organized for easy reference, providing just the essentials for quick and accurate identification. This innovative field guide from birding expert Kenn Kaufman is perfect for both beginners and more experienced birders wanting a quick reference. Its revolutionary approach to illustration provides the most lifelike and accurate pictures in any field guide. Rather than using the typical drawings and paintings, birding expert and Audubon field editor Kaufman selected over 2000 digitally edited photographs, enhanced to improve contrast, color, and the like. Kaufman's text is simple and uncluttered, a plus for novices. Softcover, 391 pages

Related Birds:

Horned Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Eared Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
.
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Family Grebe (Podicipedidae)_blue
Species Aechmophorus occidentalis
Length22 - 29 Inches
Wingspan35 Inches

Western Grebe

Western Grebe: Large, long-necked grebe with dark gray upperparts, white underparts, gray sides and flanks. Lower face and front of neck are white; black cap extends below eye. Back of neck is black. Eyes are red. Bill is long, thin, and dull olive-yellow. Wings have white stripes visible in flight.

● Song: "kr-r-rick, kr-r-rick"

● Foraging & Feeding: Western Grebe: Eats fish, insects, mollusks, and crustaceans; dives under water to spear fish with its long bill.

● Breeding & nesting: Western Grebe: Mates in spring following an elaborate courtship that includes dancing, posturing, and running across water. Lays one to seven pale blue eggs in a floating nest made from reeds. Incubation ranges from 23 to 24 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Western Grebe: Loons are larger with longer bodies and heavier, darker bills. Horned and Eared Grebes are smaller with much shorter bills that are never yellow-green. Red-necked Grebe is smaller without bold black-and-white neck pattern. Clark's Grebe has bright yellow bill.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Western Grebe Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Western Grebe: Breeds from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Minnesota south to southern California. Occasionally found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Spends winters along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to California, on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas, and on large river systems in the west. Preferred habitats include large lakes with reeds or rushes, shallow coastal bays, and estuaries.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationFairly common to common
MigrationSome migrate
Weight52.8 Ounces