Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Podilymbus
Species: Podilymbus podiceps
Introduction
The Pied-Billed Grebe is a species in the grebe family and since the extinction of Atitlan Grebe has gone extinct it is the last member of the genus podilymbus (wiki,2019). The species is not on the endangered species list and is considered of least concern. The Pied-Billed Grebe has no sexual dimorphisism. Males and females have dark to light brown over most of thier bodies with a white rump. (NHPBS) Juveniles look like adults over winter being black with white stripes. Their body is small/compact and they have a long neck with a large rounded neck(all about birds).
[collapsible_item title=”Distribution”] The Pied-billed Grebe inhabits most of north, south, and central America. They are typically a stationary species meaning that they do not normally migrate but they will do so during the winter if the water in the region they are in begins to freeze (nhpbs). During the winter months grebes typically from the far north will migrate south while those living in central north america, central america, and south america will not migrate. Those that do migrate do so at night with most of the migration occurring around september and october with them returning around april and may. During the summer breeding months they can typically be found in central and north america as well as north eastern Canada (allaboutbirds) (birdsna,1999).[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Habitat”] Pied-Billed Grebe’s can be found in both saltwater and freshwater habitats though they are mainly found in bodies of freshwater. To be more specific they prefer freshwater that is calm like that of a lake as compared to a river or a stream (birdsna,1999). They like the habitat they live in to have lots of vegetation like a wetland and they are most commonly found in brackish estuaries. During the breeding months they can be found near the shore in the emergent vegetation is where their nests that are anchored are located while in the winder they can more commonly be found in the open water due to the fact there are no nests that needed to be managed.[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Food Habits”] The Pied-Billed Grebe is a diving bird and is capable of diving down to about 20 feet and for up to 30 seconds. Their diet typically consists of aquatic invertebrates like aquatic insects as well as small fish, frogs/tadpoles, small crustaceans like crawfish. They are also known to eat their own feathers which is thought to aid with digestion and prevent injury from the ingestion of small bones by allowing them to regurgitate them (allaboutbirds) (birdsna,1999).[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Courtship”] Unlike other grebes the pied-billed grebe has a less ritualized courtship behaviour although much calling is observed as well as occasionally a duet. During some of the observed courtships Pied-Billed Grebes move close to one another, raise their breasts and turn rapidly turn their heads toward each other in opposite directions and flap one foot in order to spin around one another. Another common courtship ceremony is for one grebe to swim quickly under the water right below the surface that creates ripples showing what direction it is swimming in (allaboutbirds).
[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Nesting and Raising of Young”]
The pied-Billed Grebe makes nests in the water that are anchored to the bottom and composed primarily of dead and or rotting aquatic plants. If the parents need to leave the nest for an extended period of time they will cover it with more vegetation. They can lay up to 2 sets of eggs a year. With each set having typically 5-7 eggs. During the incubation period both the female and the male share the duties with the female taking over most of the duties toward the end of incubation (birdsna,1999). Total incubation takes on average 23 days. They are precocial and can leave the nest within an hour of hatching though the parents watch over them closely and are known to commonly ride on their parents backs between their wings when diving. Once a month or two old the chick leaves its parents (nhpbs).
[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Sounds”] they dont make much noise unless it is the breeding season. They give long rapid fired grunts, toots, and hoarse barks. [/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Behavior“]Pied-Billed Grebes are known to be primarily water birds and tend not to fly in a flock let alone at all and are actaully very shy in nature. The males are known to be extremely terratorial threatening and chasing members of its own species or other birds. The males since they are larger are the ones who typically attack and do so by diving under water and attacking from below, this gives them their nickname “Hell Diver” (birdsna,1999).[/collapsible_item]
[collapsible_item title=”Literature Cited”]
Muller, M. J. and R. W. Storer (1999). Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.410
Anon, Pied-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps – NatureWorks. New Hampshire PBS. Available at: https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/piedgrebe.htm [Accessed March 12, 2019].
Anon, Pied-billed Grebe Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Available at: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/lifehistory [Accessed March 12, 2019].
Anon, 2019. Pied-billed grebe. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied-billed_grebe [Accessed March 12, 2019].
1.
Kirby, Ronald E. “Breeding Chronology and Interspecific Relations of Pied-Billed Grebes in Northern Minnesota.” The Wilson Bulletin, vol. 88, no. 3, 1976, pp. 493–495. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4160792.
The research article breeding chronology and interspecific relations of pied billed grebes in northern Minnesota written by Ronald E Kirby discusses a field study done on breeding in northern Minnesota as well as observing how long adults stay with their chicks and at how many days approximately they stay with their young. The paper also discusses how there was no data available on either growth rates or at what age Pied-billed Grebes gain independence. He then goes on to discuss how it had been suggested in the palmer handbook of north American birds that the time of independence and first flight were both under 3 weeks while the data collected by Ronald E Kirby suggested that this is not the case. His data suggested that first flight didn’t even occur until 35 days while palmers handbook suggested the adults depart at 25 days. The article then discusses how at the end of June goldeneyes and other waterfowl had moved into the same foliage as the Pied-billed Grebes causing the Pied-billed Grebes to become aggressive specifically toward goldeneyes and their ducklings which resulted in them being forced to relocated to different foliage near the Pied-billed Grebes but no closer than 3 meters.
2.
Bleich, Vernon C. “Diving Times and Distances in the Pied-Billed Grebe.” The Wilson Bulletin, vol. 87, no. 2, 1975, pp. 278–280. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4160627.
The research article diving times and distances in the Pied-billed Grebes written by Vernon C Bleich discusses a research study done in may june and july in 1974. The study he was doing with other researchers was on how long the ducks stayed underwater, how much further from where they dived did they resurface, and in what depths does the Pied-billed Grebes prefer to dive in for forage. The study was done in Fallbrook in San Diego County on small man made lakes. The article then moves on to discuss some of the environmental features such as the air temp being 15.5C-27C as well as how the depth of the lakes was between 2 and 5 meters. The paper discusses how Pied-billed Grebes were mostly observed diving for forage in areas of the lake that were 2-3 meters. The paper then mentions that through the data they collected they found that Pied-billed Grebes will dive for between 0 and 15 seconds when foraging and 2-20 seconds when trying to escape. They also found that they move 5-10 meters from where they dove for forage to where they resurface.
3.
Breeding Habits of the Pied-Billed Grebe in an Impounded Coastal Marsh in Louisiana Author(s): Robert H. Chabreck Source: The Auk, Vol. 80, No. 4 (Oct., 1963), pp. 447-452 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the American Ornithologists’ Union Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4082849 Accessed: 14/12/2010 10:28
The research article breeding habits of the Pied-billed Grebes in an impounded coastal marsh in Louisiana written by Robert H. Chabreck discusses the breeding habits and success of the Pied-billed Grebes that were found in a small impoundment of brackish water on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. The paper starts by discussing how Pied-billed Grebes visit the Baton, Rogue university area every winter but few remain over the summer to nest and in the spring of 1961 the author found Pied-billed Grebes along the coastal waters which has rarely been observed since they are almost always seen nesting in fresh water areas. The research study went from late April-mid December in which he located what he thought was all of the nests and placed numbered markers and counted the eggs in each nest. Each week he would return to each nest to count the eggs again and check the condition of the nest and eggs. In his research he found that 52% of the birds had made free floating nests in the water attached to widgeon grass as an anchor, 46% were in small areas of wire grass, and 2% where located in bullwhip. Through the study they found that Pied-billed Grebes have between 5 and 9 eggs per nest with an average of 7.3 in May and 5 in September. They found that the way the nests were constructed allowed it to be moist from the bottom and when the adult would leave they would commonly place moist vegetation over the top of the eggs. In the study they were able to hear mating calls in early may but were unable to observe any mating between the birds. The study also found that both the male and the female incubated and cared for the young.
4.
Intraclutch Variation in Egg Weights of Pied-Billed Grebes Author(s): M. R. L. Forbes and C. D. Ankney Reviewed work(s): Source: The Condor, Vol. 90, No. 3 (Aug., 1988), pp. 709-711 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Cooper Ornithological Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1368362 . Accessed: 05/12/2011 14:45
The research paper INTRACLUTCH VARIATION IN EGG WEIGHTS OF PIED-BILLED GREBES’ written by M.R.L. Forbes and C.D. Ankney discusses a study they did from the 28th of April until the 15th of July in 1984. The objective of their study was to find out whether or not variation in egg weight in clutches was related to the order in which the eggs had been laid. They observed 28 nests in 26 ponds and visited the nests daily during egg laying because Pied-billed Grebes generally lay eggs daily. When observing the eggs they marked each one with a serial pencil, measured them, and then weighed their fresh weight after gently drying them off. By running the data they collected through ANOVA they found that female accounted for 76.4% of the total variation and after removing the effect of each female on egg weight they found that laying order accounted for 52% of the residual variation. They found that this result was purely due to the fact that the first egg is 8% lighter than the rest of the eggs within clutches.
5.
Clutch Size Determination, Egg Size, and Eggshell Thickness in the Pied-Billed Grebe Author(s): G. N. Fugle and S. I. Rothstein Source: The Auk, Vol. 94, No. 2 (Apr., 1977), pp. 371-373 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4085110 Accessed: 27-02-2019 00:57 UTC
The research paper Clutch Size Determination, Egg Size, and Eggshell Thickness in the Pied-Billed Grebe by G.N. Fugle and S.I. Rothstein discusses a study they did in Andree Clark Bird Refuge in Santa Barbara from April 20th until May 13th 1974. For their study they manipulated clutches of two Pied-Billed Grebe’s nest’s by observing when the first egg was laid and removing the oldest egg each day in an effort to determine if the species is a determinant or indeterminate layer. Once they got each egg it was marked with a pencil and then it was washed to remove its chalky coating after which they drilled a 5mm hole into the egg on two lateral sides allowing them to measure the shell thickness. They found that after both bird nests no longer had eggs that one bird had indeterminate laying and the other had determinant laying. There results also showed that there was no difference in length, width, or shell thickness between all eggs from either clutch.
6.
Faaborg, J. (1976). Habitat Selection and Territorial Behavior of the Small Grebes of North Dakota. The Wilson Bulletin, 88(3), 390-399. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4160778
This paper discusses a study done on the habitat selection of the horned, eared, and pied-billed grebes in Kenmare, north Dakota where the three species have overlapping territory. The study discusses how even though they are all grebes they have different shaped and sized bills that are more specialized for certain types of food. In the study they selected 3 study areas with a total of 43 ponds and lakes to observe. The results of the study showed that the Pied billed grebe avoided all lakes and ponds with open water that had been tilled recently and avoided areas that they would have contact with other grebes. The study found that Pied-billed grebes prefer habitats that have open water, vegetation along the shore, and little to no competition from other birds.
7.
Thomas A. Davis, Mary F. Platter-Reiger, and Ralph A. Ackerman, “Incubation Water Loss by Pied-Billed Grebe Eggs: Adaptation to a Hot, Wet Nest,” Physiological Zoology 57, no. 4 (Jul. – Aug., 1984): 384-391.
This paper discuses how Pied-Billed grebe eggs lose 16.4% of their total mass during the 23 day incubation period which is 2.7 times more than other bird eggs of the same size and mass. The loss in mass is due to water loss through eggshell conductance. The paper discuses how Pied-Billed grebe nests have a higher temperature and humidity than most bird nests due to the fact it is primarily comprised of decaying plant material but it is unknown why they lose so much water. During the study they placed the grebe eggs in coot nests and noticed a mass loss of above 40% as compared to the 16.4 and when they place coot eggs in the grebe nest they observed a mass loss around 5% as compared to a 12% loss.
8.
Nancy M. McAllister, & Storer, R. (1963). Copulation in the Pied-Billed Grebe. The Wilson Bulletin, 75(2), 166-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4159153
This paper discuses the copulation in the pied-billed grebe. In the paper it discusses how copulation has not been observed very much and when it has there does not seem to be a set ritual. They noted that there are two common rituals in the few cases observed. The first being the male will dive under the water and swim quickly to create ripple on the surface of the water near the female and the second being they move close to one another, raise their breasts and turn rapidly turn their heads toward each other in opposite directions and flap one foot in order to spin around one another
9.
Forbes, M., Barkhouse, H., & Smith, P. (1989). Nest-Site Selection by Pied-Billed Grebes Podilymbus podiceps. Ornis Scandinavica (Scandinavian Journal of Ornithology), 20(3), 211-218. doi:10.2307/3676915
In this paper they discuss a study done near Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada in which they wanted to determine what type of habitat the pied-billed grebe preferred during the breeding season for nesting. During the study they found that the pied-billed grebe preferred lakes with large open bodies of water with emergent vegetation along the shore like cat tails. They found they prefer these sites because it allows them to make their nests from the decaying materials from nearby plants as well as allowing them to anchor their floating nests to plants. They noted that they will only make nests in vegetation that can cover their nests and avoided things like short rice fields.
10.
Forbes, Mark & Davison Ankney, C. (2011). Nest attendance by adult Pied-billed Grebes, Podilymbus podiceps (L.). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 66. 2019-2023. 10.1139/z88-296.
This paper discusses a study in which the main goals were to find factors and patterns that influence nest attendance by adult pied-billed grebes. In their study which only accounts for the time they monitored they found that adults were at the nest 55% of the time after the second egg had been laid and after about the fourth day of the egg-laying period they were there for about 90% of the time. They found though that later in the hatching period the time of attendance declined to 75%-85%. In the study they did not find any factors that influenced nest attendance other than disturbance like that of the nests being monitored. They noted that in the control nests that were not being monitored attendance was lower during the egg laying period and higher during the hatching period but in the nests being monitored it was the opposite.
11.
D.E. Ladhams (1967). Diving times of Gebes. (Ladhams, Prytherch and Simmons 1967). Retrieved from https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V61/V61_N01/V61_N01_P027_030_A003.pdf
This paper discusses a small study done on the west side of chew valley lake in which D.E.Ladhams was trying to determine what the diving times of the little grebe, great crested grebe, black necked grebe, Slavonian grebe, and the pied-billed grebe. To do this he recorded the time of descent to the time of accent for each species and then compiled an average on each. In his study he found that the pied billed grebe would dive for 2-25 seconds with an average of 13 seconds, the great crested grebe at 18 seconds, the black necked grebe at 11 seconds, and the Slavonian grebe at 17.5 seconds.
12.
Kilham, L. (1954). Repeated Territorial Attacks of Pied-Billed Grebe on Ring-Necked Duck. The Wilson Bulletin, 66(4), 265-267. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4158348
This paper discusses an encounter with a Pied-Billed Grebe during a study in 1954 on a marshy pond in Seneca Maryland. During a study they were doing the researchers were observing a ring necked duck when they watched the Grebe come swimming quickly at the duck with its wings flapping resulting in the duck fleeing, when the duck returned they observed the Grebe attack the duck from below by bursting out of the water striking the duck. They later decided to try and determine how territorial the Pied-Billed grebe was by placing a duck decoy there. They noticed that within minutes of them placing the decoy the grebe popped its head up from the grass and then launched itself at the decoy calling at it until it got about six feet away and then in decided to flee. The researchers in their short encounter came to the conclusion that the Pied-Billed Grebe is extremely territorial of it’s nest.
Pictures cited:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Podilymbus_podiceps#/media/File:Podilymbus_podiceps_03429.JPG