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Clark's Grebe

Aechmophorus clarkiiOrder: PODICIPEDIFORMES Family: Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Codes: Common Name: CLGR Scientific Name: AECCLA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554027
Least Concern
 
Clark's Grebe
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Overview

Clark's Grebe: Large grebe, gray-black upperparts, white underparts, and slender neck with white on front and black on back. White face, black cap extends nearly to red eyes. Bill is yellow-orange. Until the 1980's thought to be a pale morph of the Western Grebe. Direct flight on rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Clark's Grebe: Breeds from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Minnesota south to southern California, and sparsely to Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Spends winters along the coast from southeastern Alaska to California, along the Gulf coast, and on large river systems in west. Breeds on large lakes with reeds or rushes; winters mainly on shallow coastal bays and estuaries.

Topo Map: Upright-perching Water-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kree-eek"

Interesting Facts

 First described in 1858, at the same time as the Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe was originally regarded as a distinct species and then as a color phase of the Western Grebe.

 These two birds are once again considered separate species because they nest side by side with very little interbreeding.

 A group of grebes are collectively known as a "water dance" of grebes.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Clark's Grebe

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Family Grebe (Podicipedidae)_blue
Species Aechmophorus clarkii
Length26 Inches
Wingspan35 Inches

Clark's Grebe

Clark's Grebe: Large grebe, gray-black upperparts, white underparts, and slender neck with white on front and black on back. White face, black cap extends nearly to red eyes. Bill is yellow-orange. Until the 1980's thought to be a pale morph of the Western Grebe. Direct flight on rapid wing beats.

● Song: "kree-eek"

● Foraging & Feeding: Clark's Grebe: Diet consists mostly of fish, but also takes insects and other invertebrates; sometimes eats amphibians and plants; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Clark's Grebe: One to six pale blue eggs are laid on a floating nest anchored to reeds; usually nests in dense, noisy colonies. Incubation ranges from 23 to 24 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Clark's Grebe: Western Grebe has greener bill. Horned and Eared grebes are smaller with much shorter bills that are never yellow. Red-necked Grebe is smaller and lacks bold black-and-white neck pattern.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Clark's Grebe Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Clark's Grebe: Breeds from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Minnesota south to southern California, and sparsely to Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Spends winters along the coast from southeastern Alaska to California, along the Gulf coast, and on large river systems in west. Breeds on large lakes with reeds or rushes; winters mainly on shallow coastal bays and estuaries.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationCommon to fairly common
MigrationSome migrate
Weight52.8 Ounces
Upright-perching Water-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX