Least Grebe (us-RGV)
From WikiBird
Contents |
Regional Information
Range, Abundance, and Seasonal Variations
Common in freshwater ponds throughout the lower and mid Rio Grande Valley.
Directions and Maps
Bentsen State Park, Santa Ana NWR, Edinburg World Birding Center.
General Information
Size
Length: 22cm (8.7in), Wingspan: NA, Weight: 145g
Field Marks
Small, stocky-bodied grebe with a short, thin bill and yellow eyes. Sexes similar. Breeding adult: brownish grey above with a darker crown and back and white undertail coverts. It has a black throat, brownish chest and pale underparts. It shows a white wing patch in flight. Non-breeding birds are paler with a whitish throat, and immatures are paler and greyer than adults. Feet set far back on body and trail awkwardly behind body in flight.
Similar species
Somewhat similar Pied-billed Grebe has a thicker bill and brown crown, nape and back and dark eyes. A dark winter-plumaged Eared Grebe would stand out as larger, with a white breast and foreneck, a red eye, and a prominent crest. Other grebes are larger and have quite different plumage.
Sounds
The breeding call is like a horse whinnying.
Feeding & Behavior
This species is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. It also eats aquatic insects.
Habitat & Nesting
This bird builds a floating nest of vegetation anchored to the bottom in open water up to 1.5 m deep. The three to six white eggs soon become stained, and are incubated by both adults for 21 days to hatching. The striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back.
Range
It occurs from the southwestern USA and Mexico south to Chile and Argentina, and also on Trinidad, Tobago, the Bahamas and Greater Antilles.
Resources
