Eared Grebes are unable to fly for most of the year: outside of the migration season they decrease the size of their flight muscles, and increase their digestive systems, perhaps for more efficient feeding. They nest on shallow lakes and ponds where they build a floating platform out of aquatic plants on which to lay their eggs.
Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Photo:
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Eared Grebe
Status and Trends
Distribution
Methods
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Did you know
Summary
Trend
Large Increase
Confidence: Low
Goal
Within Goal Range
Breeding colonially in shallow lakes and ponds throughout the Prairies and the interior of British Columbia, the Eared Grebe is among the world's most abundant grebe species. After a flightless moult period, often at hypersaline lakes in the western United States, birds mainly winter along the coasts and at inland ponds in the southern United States and Mexico. There are approximately 390,000 individuals in Canada, which represents 13% of the global population and a low degree of responsibility for Canada. The Canadian population of Eared Grebe has shown a large increase relative to 1970 based on the Breeding Bird Survey, but confidence in this assessment is low given medium reliability of this source, and contradictory evidence of a large decline based on the Christmas Bird Count. The national population of Eared Grebe is within its goal range.
Migration Strategy
Short-distance
Canadian Responsibility
Population Estimates
Breeding
390,000
Annual
390,000
Global
3,100,000
Related readings
Summary report
View the report
Trends from this species and others are rolled up into The State of Canada’s Birds Summary Report. Follow the link below to view the report, learn more about birds in Canada, and see how we can all help birds.
This species is included in the following analysis groups for the report:
Wetland Birds
Marine Birds
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds – Eared Grebe. Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada.
https://doi.org/10.71842/8gp9-fp22
The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.
Did you know
Eared Grebes are unable to fly for most of the year: outside of the migration season they decrease the size of their flight muscles, and increase their digestive systems, perhaps for more efficient feeding. They nest on shallow lakes and ponds where they build a floating platform out of aquatic plants on which to lay their eggs.
Distribution and Occurrence
1640
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Breeding Bird Survey
British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey
eBird
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Related readings
Summary report
View the report
Trends from this species and others are rolled up into The State of Canada’s Birds Summary Report. Follow the link below to view the report, learn more about birds in Canada, and see how we can all help birds.
This species is included in the following analysis groups for the report:
Wetland Birds
Marine Birds
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds – Eared Grebe. Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada.
https://doi.org/10.71842/8gp9-fp22