Bird name:

Least Grebe

Tachybaptus dominicus

Order

PODICIPEDIFORMES

Family

Grebes (Podicipedidae)

Code 4

LEGR

Code 6

TACDOM

ITIS

174508

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Swamps, Marshes, Ponds, shallow, Ponds

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Loose colonies

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

White to pale blue green, nest stained

Number of Eggs:

2 - 7

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Floating nest of decaying vegetation.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

General

Least Grebe: Smallest of North America's grebes. Eyes dark yellow , plumage is dark black-gray, white undertail coverts and white wing patch in flight. In winter shows white throat, in summer a dark throat. Seldom fly and rarely leave nesting places. When not nesting found in small flocks. Females similar, juveniles are glossy brown-black with striping on head.

Range and Habitat

Least Grebe: Found in southern Texas, Mexico, Rio Grande valley, Baja California, Arizona, Louisiana, South Florida, Central America and northern Argentina. Habitats include fresh and brackish water, from small ponds to lakes, ditches, marshes and slower moving parts of rivers.

Breeding and Nesting

Least Grebe: Multi-brooded, will nest in any season if conditions are suitable. Lays two to seven white to pale blue green eggs. Builds a floating nest of vegetation anchored to reeds. Incubation lasts for 21 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Least Grebe: Eats insects, primarily aquatic, small fish, tadpoles, snails, and above water insects. Like all grebes, also eat their own feathers, which may protect the gastrointestinal track from sharp fish bones.

Vocalization

Least Grebe: Emits a loud, nasal, high pitched "beeeek" or high pitched buzzy, chattering "vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv."

Similar Species

Least Grebe: Pied-billed Grebe is smilar but has a thicker bill and brown crown, nape and back and darker eyes. Other grebes are larger and have very different plumage.

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America