Birdorable Blog

1. Although flighted, to escape danger, Pied-billed Grebes prefer to dive under water.

2. Migratory Pied-billed Grebes fly at night. They are strong fliers, but are thought to only take off from water, and they need a long "runway" prior to "take-off."

3. Male and female Pied-billed Grebes have similar plumage, but males are usually bigger and may have bigger, heavier bills than females.

4. The toes of Pied-billed Grebes are lobed rather than webbed.

Pied-billed Grebe-IMG_6053-Campbell-crop by gimlack

5. When the incubating female Pied-billed Grebe leaves the nest, she covers the eggs in order to conceal them from predators.

6. Chicks spend their first days after hatching on the back of a parent. The chicks leave the nest shortly after hatching, but are unskilled swimmers for the first week or so.

7. Baby Pied-billed Grebes have a wildly different plumage than their parents, especially on the face, which is striped in black, white, and reddish-brown.

Pied-billed Grebes by Adam R. Paul

8. Pied-billed Grebes are known to eat their own feathers as a digestive aid.

9. Pied-billed Grebes have several folk names, including "water witch" and "hell-diver."

10. The Pied-billed Grebe is one of our Birdorable cute birds! The species was added to Birdorable on December 3rd, 2010.