Eared GrebeEared Grebe -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 12.5 inches | Wingspan: 22 inches | Seasonality: Summer |
| ID Keys: Summer plumage in South Dakota is black neck with gold ear tufts | ||
Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
A fairly common Grebe in the state, more so than the similar Horned Grebe. A very gregarious bird, often breeding in very large colonies, and often migrating together in huge flocks. The "ear" of the eared grebe is a tuft of gold feathers behind the eye that appears during breeding season (see bottom photo). The photo on the right is of a bird in winter plumage. Neck color is a distinguishing mark used to differentiate summer plumage Eared Grebes and Horned Grebes.
Habitat: Sloughs and marshes, shallow ponds and lakes with herbaceous wetlands.
Diet: Mostly aquatic insects and crustaceans, occasionally tadpoles, small frogs, and small fish.
Nesting: June through July
Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey map
Song: Generally silent, with soft mutterings in courtship.
Migrations: Summers on interior lakes of the west and northern plains, summers along the Pacific Coast, the Gulf Coast, and Mexico.
Similar Species: Horned Grebe
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Eared Grebe
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Eared Grebe"
Photo Information: April 30th, 2005 -- Lake Thompson, Kingsbury County -- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Eared Grebe photos.
| Additional Eared Grebe Photos | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Eared Grebe 1 (Breeding Plumage) | Eared Grebe 2 (Breeding Plumage) | Eared Grebe 3 (Winter Plumage) |
|
|
 |
|
| Eared Grebe 5 (Winter Plumage) |
|
|
Proud Member Of:
Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
3)
