Christopher Taylor Bird Nature Wildlife Mammal Photography

GALLERIES > BIRDS > PIED-BILLED GREBE [Podilymbus podiceps]

Pied-billed Grebe Picture
 
 
Location: Alondra Park, CA
GPS: 33.9W, -118.3N MAP
Date: January 12, 2008
Pied-billed Grebe Photo
 
 
Location: Ballona Freshwater Marsh, CA
GPS: 34.0W, -118.4N MAP
Date: July 26, 2008
ID: 7C2V6281


Pied-billed Grebe Picture
 
 
Location: Ballona Creek, CA
GPS: 34.0W, -118.4N MAP
Date: July 24, 2008
ID: 7C2V6079
Pied-billed Grebe Picture
 
 
Location: Ballona Creek, CA
GPS: 34.0W, -118.4N MAP
Date: December 28, 2007


Pied-billed Grebe Photo
 
 
Location: Devereux Slough (SB), CA
GPS: 34.4W, -119.9N MAP
Date: October 7, 2007
Pied-billed Grebe Picture
 
 
Location: Devereux Slough (SB), CA
GPS: 34.4W, -119.9N MAP
Date: October 7, 2007


Pied-billed Grebe Image
 
 
Location: Bolsa Chica, CA
GPS: 33.7W, -118.1N MAP
Date: August 18, 2007
Pied-billed Grebe Picture
 
 
Location: Bolsa Chica, CA
GPS: 33.7W, -118.1N MAP
Date: September 15, 2007



SPECIES INFO

The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a species of the grebe family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus Podilymbus.

The Pied-billed Grebe breeds across Canada, parts of the United States, and temperate South America. Although this species does not appear to be a strong flier, it has occurred in Europe as a rare vagrant on a number of occasions, and one bird in England bred with a Little Grebe, producing hybrid young.

The most widespread of North American grebes, it is found on remote ponds, marshes, and sluggish 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. This grebe rarely flies, preferring to escape danger by diving.

It feeds on fish (carp, catfish, eels), insects (dragonflies, ants, beetles), and amphibians (frogs, tadpoles).

The Pied-billed Grebe is small at 31-38 cm (12"-15") in length, stocky, and short-necked. It is usually brown or gray in color. 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.

This grebe is usually silent, except in breeding season when the male voices a loud, laughing cuck, cuck, cuck or cow, cow, cow.

Folk names of this grebe include dabchick, devil-diver, dive-dapper, hell-diver, and water witch.




pied_billed_grebe's Range Map Click here to see the Pied-billed Grebe's range map!
Listen to the Pied-billed Grebe Song:



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