Birdsong field guide
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
A small, stocky waterbird known for its thick, blunt bill and remarkable diving abilities. It is often seen as a solitary figure in freshwater wetlands, frequently disappearing underwater with barely a ripple.
What it sounds like
A loud, rhythmic series of hollow, barking notes described as 'kuk-kuk-kow-kow-kow-puck-puck'.
Field notes
- They can adjust their buoyancy by trapping water in their feathers, allowing them to sink slowly or swim with only their eyes and nostrils above water.
- To protect their digestive linings from sharp fish bones, they consume large quantities of their own feathers and feed them to their chicks.
- Instead of webbed feet like ducks, they possess lobed toes that rotate to provide powerful propulsion underwater.
- During the breeding season, their silver-white bill develops a distinctive vertical black band, which disappears in the winter.
- They are extremely reluctant to fly, preferring to dive or hide in aquatic vegetation to escape predators.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes, lakes, and sluggish rivers with significant emergent vegetation for nesting.
Range
Extends from southern Canada through the United States and Central America to southern South America.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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