Horned Grebe (HOGR)
Podiceps auritus
Range
The breeding range of the Horned Grebe extends from the southern interior of Alaska southwards, expanding eastward until reaching Ontario (easternmost) and the Canada-United States Border (southernmost). Though most of the Horned Grebe’s breeding range ends around the Canada-U.S. border, the range extends into northern Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana, with small populations in Oregon.
Additional Maps
Identification
The breeding Horned Grebe has a chestnut neck, breast, and flanks with a black crown, face, nape, and back. The area from the eye to the beak is also chestnut-colored. They also have an erectable bright buff patch of feathers behind the eye creating the “horn” they are named after. The belly is a dingy white. In its nonbreeding range, the Horned Grebe has a black upper face above its eyes extending around the head, nearing the nape. Below the eye the face is white; this white continues through the front of the neck to its breast, continuing to its underbelly. The nonbreeding Horned Grebe has a black back, wings, and nape. When breeding, these birds commonly emit loud trills of notes, or even a goose-like honking sound, but throughout the winter very rarely make noise.
Habitat
Horned Grebes breed in small to moderately sized (1-10ha) shallow freshwater ponds and marshes. Marshes with beds of emergent vegetation are favored, especially sedges, cattails, and rushes. In its nonbreeding habitat, Horned Grebe occur on moderate to large sized bodies of water. They occur more commonly in saltwater, usually inshore.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Vulnerable by BirdLife International
- Listed as Vulnerable by The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species
- Listed as Endangered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Listed as Secure by Nature Serve Explorer
- A Yellow Alert-Species as listed by Road to Recovery
Threats to Conservation
The greatest threat to the conservation of the Horned Grebe is degradation of habitat. This occurs mostly as run-off of some sort of chemicals used by humans such as pesticides, soap, oil, etc. Run-off not only directly affects the bird by ingestion or direct contact but also through changing the environment around it, making the water it uses no longer a suitable habitat for it.
Funding Opportunities
- Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- America the Beautiful Challenge
- Conservation Nation Grant Program
- Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
- Natural Areas Research Grant
- Natural Legacy Program
- Nature Works
- Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant
- North American Wetlands Conservation
- NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program
- Partners for Fish and Wildlife
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- The Migratory Bird Program
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Wildlife Habitat Grant Program