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Pied-billed Grebe Identification

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe —  Length: 13 inches,  Wing span: 16 inches

The Pied-billed Grebe is a nocturnal migrant that prefers to swim or dive away from danger rather than fly. When dawn is approaching, a migrating Pied-billed Grebe suddenly lands on any body of water it can find. It moves north early in the spring, and moves south in response to forming ice.

Pied-billed Grebes usually require a running, flapping start across the water to become airborne. They can also sink slowly down under the water by releasing air from their air sacs and squeezing air out from between their body and their feathers.

The Pied-billed Grebe is a small swimming and diving bird with a compact body and a rather short, stout bill. Breeding birds have a blackish forehead and chin, a white bill with a black band, and mostly tan or brownish plumage.

Breeding birds have a blackish forehead and chin, a white bill with a black band, and mostly tan or brownish plumage.Pied-bills often look gray to black.

Poied-billed Grebe side view

Winter birds lack the black forehead and chin, and have a more uniform, brownish bill. Sexes are similar. Photograph © Sam Crowe.

Poied-billed Grebe side view

Note the dark mark in front of the eye.  Photograph © Sam Crowe.

Poied-billed Grebe side view

The tail shows a small puff of white, visible in this and the following photo.  Photograph © Sam Crowe.

Pied-billed Grebe from back

Photograph © Sam Crowe.

Pied-billed Grebe from back

Juveniles resemble winter adults, but have a striped cheek pattern. Photograph © Sam Crowe.

Pied-billed Grebe chicks

Very young Pied-billed Grebes have an amazing head pattern. Photograph © Elaine Wilson.

Pied-billed Grebe juvenile

Young Pied-billed Grebe. Photograph © Alan Wilson.

 

About the Author

Sam Crowe

Sam is the founder of Birdzilla.com. He has been birding for over 30 years and has a world list of over 2000 species. He has served as treasurer of the Texas Ornithological Society, Sanctuary Chair of Dallas Audubon, Editor of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "All About Birds" web site and as a contributing editor for Birding Business magazine. Many of his photographs and videos can be found on the site.

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