The Pied-billed Grebe

Photos by the author.

There is a small duck-like bird that inhabits many types of watery habitat in Illinois. No doubt that you have probably encountered it, but did you know what you were looking at?

The pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), often seen from afar, may pose a bit more challenging for the observer when trying to get a closer look. Its little size and the fact that, when threatened, it dives to seek dense habitat in the shoreline, leaves many observers to question the sighting at all as they are left with the sensation that the bird has disappeared.

It is a small water bird at just 12 to 15 inches long (smaller than a coot). Of the grebe species found in Illinois—horned, eared, red-necked, western and pied-billed—the pied-billed is the only brown grebe. Most grebes have a pointed bill but the pied-billed grebe has a bill that is rounded and the upper portion curves. The bill is thick and whitish in color, turning silver and black in summer. There is a vertical black stripe on the bill of breeding birds. Non-breeding and immature birds lack the black stripe.

Another interesting fact about this bird is the placement of their feet. The Latin genus name for Grebes (Podylimbus) means “feet at the buttocks.” Their feet are indeed placed near their rear ends. This feature helps them dive easier but at the same time makes walking very awkward which is why they are rarely seen on dry land. Also, their toes are not webbed but lobed, which also aids in their swimming abilities.

While on the subject of swimming, pied-billed grebes are capable of trapping water in their feathers which aids in diving and the control of buoyancy in the water. This ability is why this grebe sits on the water with most of their body underwater and only their head above the surface.

Pied-billed grebes live on many ponds, lakes and slower river systems. Their favorite habitats, however, are marshy areas with plenty of escape cover in the shorelines. In these systems they will feed on aquatic insects, small fish, frogs, small snails and even crawfish.

You might think that feeding on creatures with hard shells or other sharp bits might be a little tough, but this bird has another interesting feature that aids in this dilemma. Many grebes, including the pied-billed, will consume their own feathers. This trait prevents some of the hardest and toughest parts of certain prey from entering the intestine. The feathers also aid in forming indigestible food items into pellets which the bird regurgitates.

Nesting occurs on a “floating mat” that is attached to nearby grasses or other vegetation to prevent it from floating off. On this mat, anywhere between May to mid-July, 3 to 9 tannish colored eggs will be deposited. Young will leave the nest after their first day and will spend their first week riding on a parent’s back. The young will spend their first three weeks hanging near the floating mat.

Pied-billed grebes are now common in Illinois and across North America but that wasn’t always the case. Once an endangered species in Illinois, in 2004 the pied-billed grebe was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species. Now it is a common migrant and summer resident throughout the state with permanent status in the lower one-third of the state.

Grebes cannot be hunted. They are protected federally by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and are protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code.

As winter wears down and spring begins to take hold, head out to the local marsh. If you find a grebe, keep a close eye on it. Wait for it to dive and look for some air bubbles as it swims underwater to nearby cover. You’ll soon become an expert at spotting the location where the grebes will surface.

---

Kevin Wright is an award winning outdoor writer and wildlife photographer whose work has been published in a number of publications and websites throughout the country. He lives and works out of central Illinois.