by Jamie Craig

Created on: November 23, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

The Horned Grebe (aka The Slavonian Grebe)

- Kingdom: Animalia

- Phylum: Chordata

- Class: Aves

- Order: Podicipediformes

- Family: Podicipedidae

- Genus: Podiceps

- Species: Podiceps auritus

>>Appearance<<

The Horned Grebe is usually 30-40cm long and has an approximate wingspan of 50cm; however there is a high tendency for these two to be correlated with one another. This makes the bird similar in proportion to many of the most common species of duck to which they share many of the same qualities including its webbed feet and elongated neck.

The Horned Grebe has two distinctly different appearances which change according to the season. During the winter the birds exhibit fairly bland colours, namely grey and white with a prominent black "cap" on the top of their heads. This coat is used for camouflage and insulation during the cold winter months, however in summer they moult this coat in preference to a more colourful plumage. This more colourful coat, which appears throughout the warmer months, is designed as a means of attracting potential mates. The base colour is typically brown with yellow/red plumes sticking out from the sides of the head behind the eyes. A deep red also tends to appear along the length of the bird's neck and around its eyes.

The young chicks of the species will have a "default" plumage which is almost identical to that of an adult's winter coat.

>>Habitat<<

The Horned Grebe is native within many different parts of the world. It is very dominant within North America (most popularly Canada) although it can also be found within parts of Europe and even Asia. Concerning the bird's habitat more specifically the birds will tend to live on freshwater ponds and marshland during the summer and migrate to coastal regions during the winter. The summer habitats prove more useful during summer time so that the grebe can lay its eggs on the edge of the water in relative safety whilst it continues its lifestyle conveniently.

>>Behaviour<<

The Horned Grebe is a bird which chooses to breed during the summer; hence it moults its winter coat and chooses to adopt a more extravagant set of feathers. Notably the bright plumes which arise from the side of the head can be moved by the bird at will and are used in conjunction with the unusual mating call of the bird. This call is typically described as being a nasal call followed by a shrill croaking or trill, since this is the mating call, however the birds are typically

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