Western Grebe

Western Grebe, breeding plumage

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Western Grebe, nonbreeding plumage

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1. Description
2. Similar Species
3. Sound
4. Range
5. Other Names

A large black-and-white grebe, the Western Grebe breeds in lakes and ponds across the American West and winters primarily off the Pacific Coast.

Description

• Size: 55-75 cm (22-30 in)
• Wingspan: 79-86 cm (31-34 in)
• Weight: 800-180 g (28.24-6.35 ounces)

• Medium-sized waterbird.
• Black back and face.
• White neck and underside.
• Long neck.
• Long, thin bill.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Similar to adult.

Similar Species

• Clark's Grebe is extremely similar, but has white in front of the eyes and a brighter yellow bill.
• Winter Red-necked Grebe is gray and dingy, not bright white.
• Loons are shorter necked and have solidly dark wings.

Sound

Shrill whistle and rolling croak.

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Summer Range

Breeds across American West. Also in Mexico.

Winter Range

Winters along the Pacific Coast and on large bodies of water in the Southwest. Also in Mexico.

Other Names

Le Grèbe de l¿Ouest (French)
Achichilique, Acitli (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Storer, R. W. and G. L. Nuechterlein. 1992. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark¿s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). In The Birds of North America, No. 26 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists¿ Union.