All birds Grebes
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Here November to March.
Look for
- In winter, a small swimmer that's neat black and white.
- White cheeks, and a tiny pale spot in front of each eye.
- In summer it gets a red neck and gold "horns" on a black head. That's how it got its name. Males and females look alike.
A little about it
Horned Grebes are winter birds here. You can find them from November to March. That means you'll see the plain black and white look. The gold "horns" are summer feathers, and by summer most of these grebes are far up north.
A grebe dives from the top of the water and kicks with its feet to swim. In winter it eats mostly fish. In summer it eats lots of bugs.
To take off, a grebe has to run across the top of the water first. So if a lake freezes fast in one night, a grebe can get stuck.
Up north, mom and dad build a nest that floats. It's a pile of wet plants, held in place by plants that stick up out of the water. She lays 4 to 6 eggs. The babies can swim soon after they hatch, and they often ride on a parent's back. Some pairs raise 2 sets of babies in a summer, and the older ones may help feed the new ones.
Fun fact
When a pair is getting ready to nest, they do a dance. They rise up tall on the water and puff out their head feathers. Then they dive, pop up with weeds in their bills, and race side by side across the water.
When it's here
- January: here
- February: here
- March: here
- April: a few
- May: not here
- June: not here
- July: not here
- August: not here
- September: not here
- October: not here
- November: here
- December: here
Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in January.
How big
12 to 15 inches. Bigger than a robin, but smaller than a crow.
Where to look
Big lakes in winter. Look out on the open water for a small black and white bird, most often by itself.
People have spotted it at Lake Hefner, Lake Stanley Draper, Lake Overholser.
Could it be something else?
Pied-billed Grebe
Another small diver on lakes in winter. It's brown all over with a thick, pale bill. A Horned Grebe is black and white, with white cheeks.
Eared Grebe
Very close in winter. An Eared Grebe looks dingier, with darker cheeks and a gray neck. Its bill is thinner and turns up a little.
More photos
Where these facts come from
- Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- When it's here: Sightings shared on iNaturalist in the 8 counties, all years.