Photo courtesy Edward Tickle

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Listen to Pied-billed Grebe

Description: Sexes similar. Breeding adult is brown overall, with black ring around stout, whitish bill; black chin and throat; pale belly. Winter birds lose bill ring; chin is white. Juveniles resemble winter adult but throat is much redder; head and neck streaked with brown and white.

Habitat: Breeds on ponds, lakes and impoundments with emergement vegetation. Migrants can be found on lakes, reservoirs, marshes, ponds and water- filled ditches.

Where in Nebraska: Common migrant statewide; Common regular breeder in the Sandhills and fairly common breeder elsewhere. Largest breeding concentrations can be found on Sandhills marshes in Sheridan, Garden and Cherry Counties.

 

Fun Facts:

• Although it swims like a duck, it does not have webbed feet. Each toe has lobes extending out on the sides that provide extra surface area for paddling.
• They "hide" from intruders by sinking down into the water until only their head is visible.  They may remain submerged, except for their eyes and bill, until the perceived danger has passed.
• Pied-billed Grebe has the widest distribution in the Americas of any grebe.
• This grebe is seldom seen in flight, in part because it migrates by night.