Page created on : February 21, 2000
Last updated : August 29, 2004

Western grebes are aquatic birds found mostly in the prairie provinces. They do, however, winter on the coasts of British Columbia and occasionally in the vicinity of Okanagan Lake.

They are excellent swimmers and divers, and often lower themselves so that only their head or bill breaks the water. They use their feet and wings to propel themselves at a fantastic speed, and their courtship involves a lovingly synchronized race across the water's surface. The call of these attractive birds is a plaintive creek-creek that carries over a great distance.

Western grebes are thought to be related to loons, and are reluctant flyers and not terribly graceful on land. Their body shape, feet and wings are most of their lives. A grebe's nest is constructed of aquatic vegetation either built up from the bottom of a pond or lake, or attached to a floating mass of water plants.

The parents are a model of equity, taking turns to incubate the eggs, transport and defend their young. When threatened, the adults will take the young under wing and dive with them. Western grebes eat small fish, and with an average weight of 1,5 kg are the largest of the five grebe species to be found in Canada.