Bird species profile
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
- Order
- Podicipediformes
- Family
- Podicipedidae
About the species
The Pied-billed Grebe is a small, stocky waterbird with a distinctive thick, pale bill marked by a dark band in breeding adults. Its plumage is mostly brown, helping it blend into marshy environments. Unlike many grebes, it is often solitary and is rarely seen in large flocks. This species is highly aquatic, spending most of its time swimming or diving for food. It is well adapted for life in the water, with lobed toes and dense plumage that provides buoyancy. When alarmed, it prefers to dive and resurface elsewhere rather than fly away. The Pied-billed Grebe is found throughout the Americas, including the wetlands and lakes of Patagonia, where it breeds and feeds. Its call is a distinctive, loud, and rhythmic series of hoots, often heard during the breeding season.
Habitat
Prefers freshwater lakes, ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers with abundant vegetation.
Foraging
Dives underwater to catch small fish, insects, and crustaceans, often swallowing prey while still submerged.
