Eared Grebe: Bird Finder for February 1, 2017
Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
by Greg Hanisek, editor of The Connecticut Warbler, the quarterly publication of the Connecticut Ornithological Association
Where To Find It: This is a rare species in Connecticut, but during the past few weeks one (or maybe two different ones) have been seen at Stratford Point and Fort Nathan Hale in New Haven harbor. Eared Grebe (left) also can be found in almost any wetland habitat. It has occurred here at larger lakes such as Bantam Lake in Litchfield, in small ponds such as Cemetery Pond in Litchfield, and anywhere along the coast.
Where To Find It: This is a rare species in Connecticut, but during the past few weeks one (or maybe two different ones) have been seen at Stratford Point and Fort Nathan Hale in New Haven harbor. Eared Grebe (left) also can be found in almost any wetland habitat. It has occurred here at larger lakes such as Bantam Lake in Litchfield, in small ponds such as Cemetery Pond in Litchfield, and anywhere along the coast.
When To Find It: Some rarities, such as Northern Wheatear and Ash-throated Flycatcher, have narrow windows of occurrence. Eared Grebe is just the opposite. Connecticut has records for spring, late summer, fall and winter.
What It Looks Like:
A compact diving bird, Eared Grebe is most easily confused with the Horned Grebe (right), a fairly common migrant and winterer in Connecticut.
When pondering an identification, it pays to keep in mind its British name — Black-necked Grebe. In breeding season it has a black neck, while the Horned Grebe has a rufous neck. You’re much more likely to see an Eared Grebe in non-breeding plumage, but neck color remains a key feature. Non-breeding Horned Grebes exhibit highly contrasting plumage — very dark above and white below, including a white foreneck. Eared Grebe is a bird of low contrast, with a dusky (or “dirty”) neck and cheek.
Shape is also important. Horned Grebes have flat, squared-off heads, while Eared Grebes typically show a peaked head. Eareds also often fluff up their rear ends and show a high posterior on the water. The two species can be tricky to separate in March and early April as they undergo molt into breeding garb. At that time blotchy plumage and irregular head shapes often cause confusion.
Conservation Status: Least Concern. Birds of North America Online says: By far the most abundant member of its family in North America and, indeed, in the world, the Eared Grebe breeds widely through the interior of the western United States and Canada, preferring shallow alkaline lakes and ponds, where it feeds primarily on small invertebrates. Highly social, its colonies may number into the low thousands. Its breeding range includes Europe, Asia and Africa.
Photos by Mike Pazzani (Eared) and Mike Baird (Horned), Carolinabirds.org
