General

Eared Grebe: Small grebe with black upperparts, dark chestnut-brown flanks, and white underparts. Head and neck are black with orange feathers on face. Eyes are red. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is gray with darker upperparts, mottled underparts, and dark face with distinct white lower margin.

Range and Habitat

Eared Grebe: Breeds from British Columbia, southern Manitoba and the Dakotas south to California and New Mexico. Spends winters on the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic (rare) coasts, and occasionally on open water in the interior southwest and Texas. Preferred habitats include marshy lakes and ponds; open bays and ocean during the winter.

Breeding and Nesting

Eared Grebe: One to nine white to light blue eggs are laid on a floating nest made of vegetation in a marsh. Usually nests in dense colonies. Incubation ranges from 20 to 22 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Eared Grebe: Feeds on aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and fish; forages at the water surface or by diving and swimming underwater.

Vocalization

Eared Grebe: Song is a high, rising whistle "ooEEK" or "ooEEKa", usually repeated.

Similar Species

Eared Grebe: Pied-billed Grebe has a thick, horn-colored bill and brown plumage. Red-necked Grebe is much larger, and has a longer bill with yellow base. Horned Grebe has a straighter bill without an uptilted tip and blockier head without a peak at the center of the crown.