Species: Podiceps auritus

Horned Grebe
Species

    See Kaufman (1992, Am. Birds 46:1187-1190) for detailed information on identification of birds in basic plumage.

    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Aves

    Order

    Podicipediformes

    Family

    Podicipedidae

    Genus

    Podiceps

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Zambullidor Cornudo - grèbe esclavon
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Podicipediformes - Podicipedidae - Podiceps

    See Kaufman (1992, Am. Birds 46:1187-1190) for detailed information on identification of birds in basic plumage.

    Migration
    false - false - true - Arrives in winter habitat in West mainly in October, departs for northern breeding areas mostly by April, peak influx in south-central Canada breeding areas early May. May aggregate at staging areas and resting areas during migration. Migrates day/night.
    Non-migrant
    false
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    Diet mainly small fishes, crustaceans and aquatic insects; also amphibians and leeches; aquatic insects predominate in summer, crustaceans and fishes in winter. Forages by diving in shallow water, often near emergent vegetation; also picks food from surface or from vegetation (Terres 1980, Johnsgard 1987).
    Reproduction Comments
    Eggs are laid mid-May to mid-July in southern Canada. Average clutch size is 4-6. Incubation lasts usually 22-25 days, by both sexes. Young are tended by one or both parents, most fledge by 6-7 weeks. Renests if nest destroyed. Usually one pair (sometimes several) per pothole.
    Ecology Comments
    Primarily nongregarious, except at staging and resting areas prior to and during migration. Predation may result in high nest losses. Size of breeding territory reflects location and abundance of food supply.
    Length
    34
    Weight
    453
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1996-11-20
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-11-20
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S3&CA.BC=S4&CA.MB=S3&CA.NB=__&CA.NF=__&CA.NT=S3&CA.NS=__&CA.NU=SNR&CA.ON=S1&CA.PE=__&CA.QC=S1&CA.SK=S5&CA.YT=S3&US.AL=__&US.AK=S4&US.AZ=__&US.AR=__&US.CA=__&US.CO=__&US.CT=__&US.DE=__&US.DC=__&US.FL=__&US.GA=S5&US.ID=__&US.IL=SX&US.IN=__&US.IA=__&US.KS=__&US.KY=__&US.LA=__&US.ME=__&US.MD=__&US.MA=__&US.MI=__&US.MN=S2&US.MS=__&US.MO=__&US.MT=S3&US.NN=__&US.NV=__&US.NH=__&US.NJ=__&US.NM=__&US.NY=__&US.NC=__&US.ND=SNR&US.OH=__&US.OK=__&US.OR=S2&US.PA=__&US.RI=__&US.SC=__&US.SD=S2&US.TN=__&US.TX=__&US.UT=__&US.VT=__&US.VA=__&US.WA=S3&US.WV=__&US.WI=__&US.WY=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    BREEDS: central and southern Alaska and Canada south to Idaho, northern South Dakota, northern Iowa, and central Wisconsin, with the highest breeding densities in southwestern Manitoba; Iceland, Faroes, Eurasia. WINTERS: in North America, mainly along the coast south to California, Texas, Florida (less commonly interiorly, from the Great Lakes south); in Old World south to Mediterranean Sea, Iran, and Japan. Areas of highest winter density include northwestern Washington and the Gulf Coast near Pensacola (Florida); to a lesser degree, various national wildlife refuges along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to southeastern Canada (Root 1988).
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101899