Stats

Lifespan

10-16 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

The Americas

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

A stocky, secretive waterbird that can slowly sink beneath the surface like a submarine to vanish from sight instead of diving, the Pied-billed Grebe gets its name from the thick black ring that rings its pale bill during breeding season.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
2. 2.
   hatchling

   A naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
3. 3.
   juvenile

   A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Podicipediformes

Family

Podicipedidae

Genus

Podilymbus

Species

Podilymbus podiceps