The smallest grebe in the Americas, the Least Grebe inhabits both temporary and permanent wetlands from south Texas to Argentina. Easily overlooked because of its size, coloration, and habits, it remains the most poorly understood of North American grebes.
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.
Grebes
