Birdr
  • Today
  • Life List
  • Community
Sign in
  • Today
  • Life List
  • Map
  • Trip Planner
  • Community
  • Field Guide
  • Skills
  • Gear Guides
  • Merch
Sign in
Made for birdrs, by birdrs  ·  Birdr ·  v0.1
Field GuideBlogAboutGear GuidesTrip PlannerCommunityBirdr ProPrivacy PolicyTermsSupport
Back to Field Guide
Western Grebe

Western Grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalis

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Western 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 Western Grebe

The western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe". Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America were described as a distinct species, but later ranked as a paleosubspecies Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi. Later studies found them to fall within the variation now known to exist in today's birds.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Aechmophorus occidentalis
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
  • Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena

Know when the Western 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.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Western Grebe

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

8 min readRead guide
Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

12 min readRead guide
Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

9 min readRead guide