Pied-Billed Grebe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 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.

Description

The Pied-billed Grebe is small, stocky, and short-necked. It is 31–38 centimeters (12–15 in) in length, it has a wingspan of 45–62 cm (18–24 in) and weighs 253–568 grams (8.9–20.0 oz).| [2] 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 dimorphism ).

edit ] Diet
Pied-billed Grebes feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates, and also on small  fish  and  amphibians  ( frogs ,  tadpoles ). Pied-billed Grebes have been shown to eat their own feathers to aid in digestion (prevent injury from small bones).| [3]

edit ] Breeding and Distribution
EnlargeYoung chick swimming on Lake Washington, USAThe Pied-billed Grebe breeds in south-central Canada, throughout the United States,  Central America , the  Caribbean , and temperate  South America .| [2]  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.

edit ] Habitat
The most widespread of North American  grebes, it is found on many open waters, such as remote  ponds,  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.

edit ] Etymology
Podilymbus is a contraction  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.| [4]

edit ] 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.