Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 8.7–10.6 in
22–27 cm - Weight
- 2.9–6.4 oz
81–182 g
Other Names
- Grebe minime (French)
- Zambullidor chico, Tigua (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Least Grebe sunbathes by facing away from the sun, closing its wings and tipping them upward on the back. It raises feathers of the rear parts, as well as those on the back of the head. The skin underneath these raised feathers has black pigment, believed to help absorb solar radiation.
- The Least Grebe can hide under water with only its bill showing above the surface.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Temporary or permanent wetlands, including ponds, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving rivers.
Food
Insects
Aquatic insects, small fish, and tadpoles.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–7 eggs
- Egg Description
- Whitish, or pale blue or green.
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered with black-and-white down. Within 20 minutes after hatching, young Least Grebes can climb on their mother's backs; within 40 minutes, they can cling to their mother when she dives.
Nest Description
A pile of decaying vegetation anchored to plants in shallow water.
Nest Placement
Floating
Behavior
Surface Dive
Picks prey from water's surface; also dives to pluck food from the bottom, or emerges from under water to snap at flying insects above surface.
Conservation
Least Concern
Hunted across much of its range. No immediate conservation concern.
Credits
- Storer, R. W. 1992. Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus). In The Birds of North America, No. 24 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.