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Western Grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalis ORDER: PODICIPEDIFORMES FAMILY: PODICIPEDIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Western Grebe Photo

© Allen D.Cruickshank / CLO

A large black-and-white grebe, the Western Grebe breeds in lakes and ponds across the American West and winters primarily off the Pacific Coast.

Birds of North America Online
For complete information on this species, visit The Birds of North America Online.

At a GlanceHelp

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length
21.7–29.5 in
55–75 cm
Wingspan
31.1–33.9 in
79–86 cm
Weight
28.2–6.3 oz
800–180 g
Other Names
  • Le Grèbe de l'Ouest (French)
  • Achichilique, Acitli (Spanish)

Habitat


Lake/Pond
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Food


Fish
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Nesting

Nest Placement

Floating
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Behavior


Surface Dive
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Conservation

status via IUCN

Least Concern
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Credits

  • Storer, R. W. and G. L. Nuechterlein. 1992. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). In The Birds of North America, No. 26 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.
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Range Map Help

Western Grebe Range Map
View dynamic map of eBird sightings
Project FeederWatch