Pied-billed Grebe
Encyclopedia
The Pied-billed Grebe is a species
of the grebe
family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe
, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus
Podilymbus.
).
s, and also on small fish
and amphibian
s (frog
s, tadpole
s). Pied-billed Grebes have been shown to eat their own feathers to aid in digestion (prevent injury from small bones).
, throughout the United States, Central America
, the Caribbean
, and temperate South America
. It creates an open bowl type nest in a platform of floating vegetation, loosely anchored by the cattails to float with the waves. When it leaves its nest it covers its eggs with vegetation. After a period of time the vegetation will stain the eggs and help conceal them better.
Pied-billed Grebes are year-round residents in much of their range, though populations that breed in areas where their habitat freezes in winter migrate
to warmer regions. Although this species
does not appear to be a strong flier, it has occurred in Europe
as a rare vagrant on a number of occasions, and one bird in England bred with a Little Grebe
, producing hybrid young.
n grebes, it is found on many open waters, such as remote pond
s, marshes, and sluggish streams
. It is usually the first grebe to arrive on northern inland waters in springtime, and the last to leave in autumn. It is rare on salt water.
of Latin
podicipes ("feet at the buttocks", from podici-, "rump-" + pes, "foot")—the origin of the name of the grebe order
—and Ancient Greek
kolymbos, "diver"; podiceps, "rump-headed", from podici- + New Latin
ceps.
Folk names of this grebe include dabchick, devil-diver, dive-dapper, hell-diver, and water witch.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe
Atitlán Grebe
The Atitlán Grebe , also known as Giant Grebe, Giant Pied-billed Grebe, or Poc, is an extinct water bird, a relative of the Pied-billed Grebe. It was endemic at the Lago de Atitlán in Guatemala at an altitude of 1700 m asl. Thanks to the field work of the American ecologist Anne LaBastille, its...
, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Podilymbus.
Description
The Pied-billed Grebe is small, stocky, and short-necked. It is 31 centimetre in length, it has a wingspan of 45 centimetre and weighs 253–568 g (8.9–20 ). It is usually brown or gray in color. It has a short, blunt chicken-like bill, which in summer is encircled by a broad black band (hence the name). It is the only grebe that does not show a white wing patch in flight. The sexes are monomorphic (meaning no sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
).
Diet
Pied-billed Grebes feed mainly on aquatic invertebrateInvertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, and also on small fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s (frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s). Pied-billed Grebes have been shown to eat their own feathers to aid in digestion (prevent injury from small bones).
Breeding and Distribution
The Pied-billed Grebe breeds in south-central CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, throughout the United States, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and temperate South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It creates an open bowl type nest in a platform of floating vegetation, loosely anchored by the cattails to float with the waves. When it leaves its nest it covers its eggs with vegetation. After a period of time the vegetation will stain the eggs and help conceal them better.
Pied-billed Grebes are year-round residents in much of their range, though populations that breed in areas where their habitat freezes in winter migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to warmer regions. Although this species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
does not appear to be a strong flier, it has occurred in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a rare vagrant on a number of occasions, and one bird in England bred with a Little Grebe
Little Grebe
The Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed...
, producing hybrid young.
Habitat
The most widespread of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n grebes, it is found on many open waters, such as remote pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s, marshes, and sluggish streams
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
. It is usually the first grebe to arrive on northern inland waters in springtime, and the last to leave in autumn. It is rare on salt water.
Etymology
Podilymbus is a contractionContraction (grammar)
A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters....
of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
podicipes ("feet at the buttocks", from podici-, "rump-" + pes, "foot")—the origin of the name of the grebe order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
—and Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
kolymbos, "diver"; podiceps, "rump-headed", from podici- + New Latin
New Latin
The term New Latin, or Neo-Latin, is used to describe the Latin language used in original works created between c. 1500 and c. 1900. Among other uses, Latin during this period was employed in scholarly and scientific publications...
ceps.
Miscellaneous
This grebe is usually silent, except in breeding season when the male voices a loud, laughing cuck, cuck, cuck or cow, cow, cow. It rarely flies, preferring to escape danger by diving.Folk names of this grebe include dabchick, devil-diver, dive-dapper, hell-diver, and water witch.
External links
- BTO BirdFacts - Pied-billed Grebe
- Pied-billed Grebe Information - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Pied-billed Grebe - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Pied-billed Grebe Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Pied-billed Grebe - eNature.com