Birds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
 Pied-billed Grebe, breeding plumage |
General Description: Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) are small, sexually monomorphic water birds with legs set well back on the body (so much so that they can't really walk on land). Grebes look similar to ducks and often are found on ponds and marshes with ducks. Pied-billed Grebes are brown overall with a puffy, white rump. The bill is white and unusually thick for a grebe. In breeding season, pied-bills get a black patch under the chin and rusty red on the neck. Young birds have stripes on the face. Grebes are divers and feed underwater. Taxonomy: Podicipediformes, Podicipedidae |
 Pied-billed Grebe, non-breeding plumage |
Favored Habitat: Ponds and marshes. Where to Find: Neighborhood ponds, parks (e.g., Lorenzi Park and Sunset Park), the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, and Boulder Beach Marina at Lake Mead NRA. To find them in more natural habitat, visit the Pahranagat Valley. Comments: Grebes eat fish, crustaceans, and other tasty water bugs. |
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If you were a tasty water bug or a bit of pondweed, this might be the last face you ever see! |
 Pied-billed Grebe, breeding plumage |
 Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage; Balmorhea, Texas |
 Pied-billed Grebe at Sunset Park, Urban Las Vegas |
 Pied-billed Grebe, breeding plumage |
 Pied-billed Grebe non-breeding plumage (note reduced bar on bill) |
 Pied-billed Grebe non-breeding plumage (note lack of bar on bill) |
 Pied-billed Grebe adult and fledgling (note striped face) |
 Pied-billed Grebe fledgling (note striped face) |
 Pied-billed Grebe, older fledgling (note facial striped fading) |
 Pied-billed Grebe, older fledgling (note facial striped fading) |
 Pied-billed Grebe; adult and fledgling |
 Pied-billed Grebe; adult and fledgling |
 Typical swimming position with feet to the side |
 Typical swimming position with feet to the side |
 Hauling nesting material from the bottom of the pond to the nest |
 Pied-billed Grebe with crawdad |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
; Last updated 240105
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