Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Eared grebes breed on shallow freshwater marshes and spend much of the year on open saline or alkaline lakes. They dive rather than walk, chasing aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small fish with lobed feet set far back on the body. In breeding plumage, golden ear tufts and a dark neck make them distinctive, while nonbreeding birds turn gray and white. They are so specialized for water that takeoff requires a long pattering run across the surface.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- Eared Grebe