Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Pied-billed Grebe (adult) image © Wayne Nicholas

Family: (Podicipedidae) Grebes

Preferred Habitat: Ponds and lakes

Seasonal Occurrence: Greatest abundance in winter; also common in the spring. Lesser numbers at other times. Breeds in our area.

Notes: The Pied-billed Grebe is our most common grebe and usually easy to find. It is typically found in single numbers and likes to swim with just its head above water. It has been given the nickname of Hell-Diver from its habit of diving with lightening speed. The Pied-billed Grebe is seldom seen in flight and migrates at night. In winter its bill turns from white to a duller brown and loses its distinctive ring. It makes its nest in ponds and marshes, in a floating mat of dead grasses which is attached to clumps of vegetation.
- Susan Billetdeaux