Horned Grebe Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesHorned Grebe
Breeding adult
Fairly small grebe with short, straight bill. Breeding adults have black head with rich golden tufts, black back, and cinnamon neck, breast, and sides.
© Ivan Sjögren / Macaulay LibraryStockholms län [SE-01], April 19, 2014Nonbreeding adult
Fairly small grebe with small head and short, straight bill. Nonbreeding birds have black head sharply contrasting with white cheek, gray-black upperparts, and grayish white underparts. Note white-tipped bill.
© Brad Imhoff / Macaulay LibraryOhio, December 04, 2018Breeding adult
Fairly small grebe with head that appears large in breeding plumage thanks to puffy feathers. Note linear golden head tufts ("horns") and cinnamon neck and breast.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 19, 2007Not all videos have sound
Molting adult
When molting into breeding plumage, can show mix of gold or chestnut breeding coloration with grayish nonbreeding plumage.
© Dennis Dirigal / Macaulay LibraryOntario, April 08, 2018Immature
Small-bodied grebe with long neck and short, straight bill. Immatures resemble nonbreeding adults, with black cap and clean white cheek, but with grayish wash to neck.
© Sharif Uddin / Macaulay LibraryWashington, November 29, 2019Molting adult
In flight shows clean border of black cap with white neck. Leading edge of wing is dark in nonbreeding plumage. Feet are lobed, not webbed.
© Charlie Shields / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, March 16, 2017Breeding adult
Courtship often happens during spring migration; pairs have several displays involving rearing up out of the water and coordinating their movements in "dances."
© John Riegsecker / Macaulay LibraryWashington, April 09, 2020Nonbreeding adult
Often occurs in flocks and winters on large bodies of water, particularly saltwater but also freshwater to a lesser extent.
© Chloe Wilson / Macaulay LibraryTennessee, December 13, 2014Breeding adult
Breeds in small ponds and marshes, mainly north of 50 degrees North latitude; builds nest out of floating mass of vegetation.
© Kai Victor / Macaulay LibraryNorðurland eystra, June 19, 2017Similar SpeciesEared Grebe
Breeding adult
Eared Grebes in breeding plumage have black necks and a fan-shaped splay of golden head feathers, whereas Horned Grebes have a chestnut neck and golden tufts that run straight back across the head.
© David Yeamans / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 29, 2017Similar SpeciesEared Grebe
Nonbreeding
Eared Grebes in nonbreeding plumage have a less clean-cut head pattern than Horned Grebes. Eared has a gray smudge behind the eye, rather than Horned's clear border between crown, cheek, and neck.
© Charmaine Anderson / Macaulay LibraryOntario, January 16, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-necked Grebe
Breeding adult
Red-necked Grebes are larger with stouter bills than Horned Grebes. The bill is yellow and in breeding plumage Red-necked lacks the golden tufts and red eye of Horned.
© Richard Poort / Macaulay LibraryOntario, May 19, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-necked Grebe
Nonbreeding
Red-necked Grebes are larger with stouter bills than Horned Grebes. In nonbreeding plumage look for the Red-necked's yellowish bill, grayish cheek, and (at close range) dark eye.
© Samuel Paul Galick / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, February 10, 2014Similar SpeciesPied-billed Grebe
Breeding adult
Pied-billed Grebes are smaller than Horned Grebes, with a short neck and thick but stubby bill. In breeding plumage they are brownish overall with a black ring on the bill.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 25, 2013Similar SpeciesPied-billed Grebe
Nonbreeding
In nonbreeding plumage Pied-billed Grebes can be warm brown on the neck, but at this time of year Horned Grebes are black and white. Pied-billed is smaller, shorter-necked, with a thicker, stubbier bill.
© Wayne Poorman / Macaulay LibraryTexas, January 04, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Grebes(Order: Podicipediformes, Family: Podicipedidae)
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