I did a post on the
pied-billed grebe in 2014 after seeing some in Florida. For some reason I've found it hard to get good photos of them. However, since getting my new camera and lens, I've done much better.
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| Non-breeding phase at Bolsa Chica. |
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| Non-breeding phase at Aransas NWR. |
One thing I noticed on a photo I took in poor light near the Salton Sea is that, when breeding, it has a black throat as well as a black band which encircles its beak. The black band does not stand out in normal light. Another interesting aspect, which I've only seen in photos, is that they do not have webbed feet: its toes have lobes that come out of the side of each toe, which makes paddling easier. They can also adjust their buoyancy to float with just the head above the water.
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| Note the black throat as well as it floating partially submerged. |
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| Breeding phase at the LA Count Arboretum. |
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| Breeding phase at Concho River Walk in San Angelo, Texas. |
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| Breeding phase at Bolsa Chica. |
That looks more like a beak than a bill. It isn't a duck, right?
ReplyDeleteIt is a grebe, not a duck, but probably fairly closely related to a duck.
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