Clark's Grebe

General Description

Clark's Grebes are large and slender with long necks and long, thin bills. Their plumage is dark gray above and white below, with a clear color division. The top of the face is black and the bottom white. In Clark's Grebe, the black does not extend below the eye. In the closely related and similar-appearing Western Grebe, the black ends below the eye. The bill of Clark's Grebe is bright yellow to orange-yellow.

Clark's Grebes are Rare in Western Washington from October-April.

Habitat

In winter Clark's Grebes are found mostly on saltwater bays. During the breeding season they prefer freshwater wetlands with a mix of open water and emergent vegetation. Breeding areas are located in the central arid steppe and Big Sage/Fescue zones that stretch from California north and east to south-central Canada. Clark's Grebes tend to forage farther from shore and in deeper water than Western Grebes. They are commonly found in mixed flocks with Western Grebes, but even in these flocks they tend to associate preferentially with other Clark's Grebes.

Behavior

Clark's Grebes are highly gregarious in all seasons, wintering in large flocks and nesting in colonies. The neck structure of the Clark's Grebe allows it to thrust its beak forward, like a spear, which it does to catch prey. As a family, grebes are known for their elaborate courtship displays. Clark's Grebes and the closely related Western Grebes perform the most spectacular displays of the family, and arguably the most complex known for any birds. The rituals of Western and Clark's Grebes are almost identical; the only difference is that one of many calls differs in the number of notes.