Fauna Flora Photography

Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps

A small, brown bird seen in freshwater wetlands on ponds with vegetation and feeds on small fishes, crustaceans and insects and migrates South when water surface freezes.

Specs

Length30-38cm
Weight226-396g
Wingspan46-51cm

Common Names

GermanBindentaucher
EnglishPied-billed Grebe
FrenchGrèbe à bec bigarré
SpanishZampullín de pico grueso

Taxonomy

OrderPodicipediformes
FamilyPodicipedidae
SpeciesPodilymbus podiceps

How to Identify

The bird is generally brown to dark grey and has a light grey short but strong beak with a black ring during the breeding season.

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - Parc de la Frayère - 2019-07-07
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - Parc Angrignon - 2017-09-30
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - Parc Angrignon - 2017-04-14

Where and When to Spot

During spring, summer and autumn in ponds diving for food or hidden within the vegetation. I have seen this species in different parks with a larger pond.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Parc Angrignon - x x -
Parc des Rapides x - - -

Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.

Last updated on 2024-03-14. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.