western grebe (Birds of the Alameda Shoreline )

western grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalis

Summary ⁵

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".

Physical description ⁶

Aechmophorus occidentalis is the largest of the North American grebes, it ranges from 56-74 cm in length. It has a long neck and bill. The feet are at the far back of the body and the tail is reduced. The ankle and toe joints are very flexible to aid in manueverability in the water. The head, neck, and body are a blackish brown color from above, and white from below. The Western Grebe has a dull yellow or olive-colored bill and red eyes surrounded by dark coloration. In flight a white wing stripe is exposed. The sexes are monomorphic year round.

Aechmophorus clarkii, Clark's grebe, was only recently recognized as a separate species. Clark's grebes have white surrounding the eye and a bill that is bright yellow to orange-yellow. Their flanks have more white areas and the back is a lighter gray.

Average mass: 1400 g.

Average mass: 1475.5 g.

Food habits ⁷

Aechmophorus occidentalis is a carnivore. It mostly eats fish, but also eats insects, mollusks, and crustaceans. The Western grebe is an aggressive hunter. It dives under the water and spears fish with its long bill.

Habitat ⁸

Aechmophorus occidentalis is a migratory bird. It lives on freshwater lakes that have rushes and tules during the breeding season. It usualy stays on prairie lakes in British Columbia and California, and sometimes as far down as Mexico. In the winter A. occidentalis lives on the Pacific coast.

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; coastal

Lifespan/longevity ⁹

Range lifespan
Status: wild: 14 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 132 months.

Sources and Credits

(c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/72825507@N00/509015938
(c) Scott Bowers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.planetscott.com/speciesdetail/3629/western-grebe-(aechmophorus-occidentalis)
Krakowski, Jim, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/21481.jpg
(c) fabricio rivera Ibarra, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by fabricio rivera Ibarra
Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aechmophorus_occidentalis
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18630618
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18630621
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18630617
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18630620