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Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Red-necked Grebe

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Red-necked Grebe

The red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) is an aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. A migratory bird, its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes. Grebes prefer shallow bodies of fresh water such as lakes, marshes or fish-ponds as breeding sites. The red-necked grebe is a fairly drab dusky-grey bird in winter. During the breeding season, it acquires the distinctive red neck plumage, black cap and contrasting pale grey face from which its name was derived. It also has an elaborate courtship display and a variety of loud mating calls.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Podiceps grisegena
Family
Grebes
Order
Podicipediformes

Similar species

Other members of the grebes family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii
  • Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
  • Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
  • Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus
  • Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
  • Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis

Know when the Red-necked Grebe turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

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Gear for spotting Red-necked Grebe

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