Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is in the Grebes family (Podicipedidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 17,151 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in March.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: winter visitor. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

Conservation status (iNaturalist): VU.

When to photograph Horned Grebe: observations by month (U.S.)

About Horned Grebe

The horned grebe or Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus) is a relatively small waterbird in the family Podicipedidae. There are two known subspecies; (P. a. auritus), which breeds in Eurasia, and (P. a. cornutus), which breeds in North America. In Eurasia, the subspecies is distributed over most of northern Europe and Asia, breeding from Greenland to western China. The North American subspecies spans most of Canada and some of the United States. Both subspecies appear physically similar...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Horned Grebe by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Grebes)

Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps

Western GrebeAechmophorus occidentalis

Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis

Clark's GrebeAechmophorus clarkii

Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena

Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ