| Aechmophorus Temporal range: Late Pliocene to present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Clark's grebe | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Podicipediformes |
| Family: | Podicipedidae |
| Tribe: | Podicipedini |
| Genus: | Aechmophorus Coues, 1862 |
| Type species | |
| Podiceps occidentalis [1] Lawrence, 1858 | |
| Species | |
Aechmophorus is a genus of birds in the grebe family.
It has two living representatives breeding in western North America.
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western grebe | Aechmophorus occidentalis (Lawrence, 1858) | western Canada & United States and Mexico | Size: 55–75 cm (22–30 in) long, weighs 795–2,000 g (1.753–4.409 lb), with a wingspan of79–102 cm (31–40 in). Habitat: Diet: carp, herring, mollusks, crabs, and amphibians, such as salamanders. | LC |
| Clark's grebe | Aechmophorus clarkii (Lawrence, 1858) | California, Nevada, and Arizona and central Mexico | Size: 22–29 inches (56–74 cm), weighs 25.3–44.4 oz (720–1,260 g), with a wingspan of 24 inches (61 cm) Habitat: Diet: salamanders, crustaceans, polychaete worms and insects | LC |
One prehistoric species has been described from fossil remains:
Although the two living species look very similar, bill shape and coloration, as well as feathering around the scarlet eye of the bird can be used to determine the precise species.
The western grebe has a straight bill with a dull green-yellow color as opposed to the Clark's grebe, which has a slightly upturned, bright orange-yellow bill. In both species the male has a longer and deeper bill than that of the female, making it a distinguishing feature. [2] All species of grebes display the pattern of lobed feet. A tough skin surrounds each toe separately, providing more surface area for effective swimming. This form increases the power of propulsion per stroke and reduces drag when the bird is recovering. [3] Skeletal measurements taken from both species, when averaged together, revealed that for the most part the western grebe is larger than the Clark's grebe. [4] The two species also differ in their advertising calls. The western grebe gives a call that includes two distinct “cree-cree” notes, while the Clark's grebe consists of a single “creeet” note, more drawn out. [5]
Western North America is home for nearly all individuals of both species of grebes. When migration occurs, the birds in the northern range will travel west in flocks, at night to the Pacific coast. Both western and Clark's grebes winter in sheltered bays or estuaries on the Pacific coast and summer in freshwater lakes with marshy vegetation as well as large open areas of water. The site of nesting is usually in a shallow water marsh. Both males and females help to build a floating platform nest of vegetation (Kaufman 1996). Because of the colonial nature of these birds nests must be continually guarded during the breeding season. If left unattended other pairs of birds seeking nest sites will seize the platform. [6]
These two species, like most grebes, eat a diet consisting mostly of fish. They are also known to forage on crustaceans, insects, worms and salamanders. [7] Foraging techniques are composed of a number of foot-propelled dives. Current research is associating the use of springing dives by the Clark's grebe, in which the bird essentially leaps from the water before submerging, allowing it to reach deeper below the surface, with possibly proving niche separation between the two species. [2]
Western and Clark's grebes take part in a courtship display known as mate feeding. This occurs regularly between a mated pair during the period prior to hatching of nestlings. In both species mate feeding appears to peak shortly before egg laying and involves the male providing large quantities of food to the begging female. [6] Pairs will also engage in a spectacular display, by rearing up and "rushing" across the surface of the water side by side, making a loud pattering sound with their feet. This display is not only done by mated pairs, but can also be done by two males competing for a female as well as the female along with the two males. Therefore, it has been suggested that the "rushing" ceremony is done for more than one purpose.
The typical clutch size for both Western and Clark's grebes is between 2 and 4 eggs per season. They are usually a pale bluish white and become stained by the nest to a speckled brown. [7] [6] Downy young of the western grebe display a uniform gray along the back, a white belly along with a dark patch on the forehead. This differs in Clark's grebe where the young are almost entirely white. Both species of nestlings have an area of skin on the crown that changes color from orange to scarlet if the chick needs feeding or is in distress. [8] Males tend to hunt and provide chicks with food more often than females, however only one fish can be caught during each dive. [4] Fledging occurs just hours after the last nestling emerges from its shell. The semialtricial nestlings travel on the backs of their parents for several weeks, this is referred to as back brooding and both parents participate in the activity. For the first two weeks after hatching chicks are completely camouflaged by their parents back feathers and will progressively become more visible. Chicks will stay close to their parents when predators are spotted or during feedings. [9]
Loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae and order Gaviiformes.
Grebes are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes. Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Most grebes fly, although some flightless species exist, most notably in stable lakes. The order contains a single family, the Podicipedidae, which includes 22 species in six extant genera.
The horned grebe or Slavonian grebe is a relatively small and threatened species of waterbird in the family Podicipedidae. There are two subspecies: P. a. auritus, which breeds in Eurasia, and P. a. cornutus, which breeds in North America. The Eurasian subspecies is distributed over most of northern Europe and northern Asia, breeding from Greenland east to the Russian Far East. The North American subspecies spans most of Canada and some of the United States. The species got its name from large patches of yellowish feathers located behind the eyes, called "horns", that the birds can raise and lower at will..
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The western grebe is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe".
Clark's grebe is a North American waterbird species in the grebe family. Until the 1980s, it was thought to be a pale morph of the western grebe, which it resembles in size, range, and behavior. Intermediates between the two species are known.
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The tree swallow is a migratory bird of the family Hirundinidae. Found in the Americas, the tree swallow was first described in 1807 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot as Hirundo bicolor. It has since been moved to its current genus, Tachycineta, within which its phylogenetic placement is debated. The tree swallow has glossy blue-green upperparts, with the exception of the blackish wings and tail, and white underparts. The bill is black, the eyes dark brown, and the legs and feet pale brown. The female is generally duller than the male, and the first-year female has mostly brown upperparts, with some blue feathers. Juveniles have brown upperparts, and gray-brown-washed breasts. The tree swallow breeds in the US and Canada. It winters along southern US coasts south, along the Gulf Coast, to Panama and the northwestern coast of South America, and in the West Indies.
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