Red-necked Grebe

As spring evenings settle upon mountain lakes, the loud, enthusiastic, laughing calls of courting Red-necked Grebes provide an aural backdrop to the wild scene. Although these birds are not as vocally refined and majestic as loons, few birds match the verbal vigor and endurance of a pair of Red-necked Grebes in peak spring passion. All grebes carry their newly hatched young on their backs. The heavily striped young stay aboard even when the parents dive underwater. The scientific name grisegena means 'gray cheek,' and it refers to this species's winter plumage. In the Rockies, Red-necked Grebes are only found in their winter plumage briefly during fall migration.

Podiceps grisegena

I.D.: Sexes similar. Breeding: red neck; white cheek; black crown; straight, heavy, yellow bill; black upperparts; light underparts; black eyes. Non-breeding: grayish-white throat and cheek.

Size: L 17-22 in. (43-56 cm).

Range: uncommon breeder and common migrant in the Canadian Rockies; common breeder in western Montana south of Glacier NP; uncommon migrant in the U.S. Rockies.

Habitat: Breeding: emergent vegetation in lakes and ponds in the montane and the subalpine. In migration: open, deeper lakes.

Nesting: usually nests singly or occasionally in loosely scattered colonies; floating platform nest, made of aquatic vegetation, is anchored to submerged plants; eggs are initially white, but they often become stained by wet vegetation.

Feeding: dives and gleans the surface for small fish, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians.

Voice: often repeated, excited ah-ooo ah-ooo ah-ooo ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.

Similar Species: Horned Grebe: dark cheek. Eared Grebe: black neck. Pied-billed Grebe: thicker bill; mostly brown body. Western Grebe: black upperparts; white underparts. American Coot: all-black body; often seen on land. Ducks: all lack the combination of a white cheek and a red neck.