Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritus

The Horned Grebe is a small, beautiful bird known for its striking black and white feathers and unique horn-like tufts during the breeding season. They are excellent swimmers and can dive underwater to catch fish.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Horned Grebe has a sleek body and a pointed bill. In breeding season, it sports a black head with striking golden-orange tufts, resembling 'horns,' and rich rufous flanks. Non-breeding birds are gray and white.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderPodicipediformesFamilyPodicipedidaeGenusPodiceps

Horned Grebe

Interesting facts

Horned Grebe chicks often ride on their parents' backs, even underwater!

Their nests are built to float on the water's surface, anchored to plants!

These birds' feet are placed so far back, they can barely walk on land!

They must take a running start *on water* to get enough speed to fly!

Special abilities

Horned Grebe can swim with incredible speed underwater because its legs are positioned far back on its body, acting like powerful propellers.

Horned Grebe swallows its own feathers that help line its gizzard, possibly protecting it from sharp fish bones.

Horned Grebe can control its buoyancy to slowly sink below the surface, vanishing from sight to escape predators.

Measurements & details

Length: 31-38 cm
Wingspan: 55-64 cm
Weight: 0.3-0.57 kg
Lifespan: 2-10 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 4-7
Incubation: 22-25 days
Migration Distance: 4000 km

Diet & Feeding

These expert divers eat mostly aquatic insects and small fish found underwater.

Primary Foods

aquatic insects
small fish
crustaceans
tadpoles

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Large fish can prey on young grebes.

eaten by

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

These raptors sometimes hunt adult grebes.

hunts

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Horned Grebes dive to catch small fish like this.

hunts

Three-spined Stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus

Small fish are a primary food source for grebes.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Horned

Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Piscivorous

Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.

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.