Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalis · Grebes
Banding codeWEGR
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 25 in long.
2Color pattern
- Long swan-like neck, black above and white below
- Black cap extends down around the red eye
- Yellow-green, dagger-like bill
3Habitat & season
Large lakes and reservoirs, Great Salt Lake marshes
In northern Utah: summer.
Seen most often in May, June and October.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
A loud, two-note, grating call.
“krrik-krreek”
iNat 234351457 by Jonathan Layman · Larimer County, CO, USA · CC BY
Know it
- Pairs 'rush' side by side across the water in a courtship dance.
- Carries its chicks on its back.
- Spears fish with a dagger-like bill.
- Its black cap surrounds the eye; its look-alike has white around the eye.
Often confused with
Clark's Grebe
Eared Grebe- Western × Clark's Grebe
- Horned Grebe
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
The western grebe is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe".
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0