# Eared Grebe (*Podiceps nigricollis*) The Eared Grebe is a small, beautiful bird known for its striking black neck and fluffy feathers. It loves to swim and dive in lakes and ponds, making it a fun sight for bird watchers! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Eared Grebe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eared_Grebe%252C_breeding_plumage_%2833774036404%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eared_Grebe%252C_breeding_plumage_%2833774036404%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Eared Grebe is a small, compact water bird with a slender neck. In breeding season, it has a black head and neck with distinctive golden-orange fan-shaped ear tufts and a bright red eye, contrasting with rusty flanks. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Podicipediformes - **Family:** Podicipedidae - **Genus:** Podiceps ## Interesting facts - Baby grebes ride on their parents' backs, even when diving! - Sometimes, hundreds of thousands gather to migrate across continents! - Their legs are so far back, they can barely walk on land! - They clean their feathers using special oil from a gland near their tail! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Eared Grebe can dive deep underwater because of its powerful legs, helping them swiftly catch prey. - **Feather Feeder:** Eared Grebe eats its own feathers that helps protect its stomach lining from sharp fish bones. - **Floating Nest Builder:** Eared Grebe has special anchoring skills that helps them build floating nests tied to aquatic plants. - **Mass Migrator:** Eared Grebe can gather in huge groups for migration, helping them cross vast distances together. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 28-34 cm - **Wingspan:** 46-55 cm - **Weight:** 0.25-0.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-12 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-8 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds are expert divers, hunting small fish, aquatic insects, and tiny crustaceans underwater! - **Age differences:** Young are fed mostly insects by parents, gradually adding small fish and crustaceans to their diet. - **Primary Foods:** Aquatic insects, Small fish, Brine shrimp, Larvae, Crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Brine Shrimp (*Artemia salina*) — A primary food source in saline lakes. - **Hunts:** [Yellow Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-perch) (*Perca flavescens*) — A prey item for adult grebes. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Predator of adult grebes. - **Eaten by:** [California Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-gull) (*Larus californicus*) — Preys on grebe eggs and chicks. - **Shelter:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Used for anchoring floating nests. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Crested](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/crested): Crested describes animals possessing a prominent tuft of feathers, hair, or skin on their head. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance so they feel safe and happy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eared Grebe? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Eared Grebe? 28-34 cm ### What is Eared Grebe's wingspan? 46-55 cm ### How much does Eared Grebe weigh? 0.25-0.4 kg ### How long does Eared Grebe live? 5-12 years ### How fast can Eared Grebe move? 70 km/h ### What does Eared Grebe eat? These birds are expert divers, hunting small fish, aquatic insects, and tiny crustaceans underwater! ### Where is Eared Grebe usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bolsa-chica-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Chesterfield](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesterfield) — Idaho, US · Neighborhood - [Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gavins-point-national-fish-hatchery) — South Dakota, US · Nature Reserve - [Volkspark Dutzendteich (Nürnberg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/volkspark-dutzendteich-nuremberg) — Bayern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Nördlicher Oberpfälzer Wald](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/northern-upper-palatinate-forest-nature-park) — Bayern, DE · Park - [La Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/la-mata-torrevieja-lagoons-natural-park) — Comunitat Valenciana, ES · Park [View all places to see Eared Grebe](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eared-grebe) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Eared Grebe: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eared-grebe)