The Pied-Billed Grebe

Grebes are swimming and diving birds, smaller than loons, with flat lobes on their toes. Their short legs are far back on their bodies and their tails and wings are short. They hold their head low in flight which is weak and hurried. So it escapes danger by diving or by slowly sinking below the water's surface. The Pied-Billed Grebe likes shallow water and is rarely found in salt water. This is the most common nesting Grebe in the East. It is a small (length of 9-12"), solitary, stocky Grebe with a chicken-like bill which is white with a black ring around it during breeding season. The Pied-Billed Grebe is uniformly brownish with white under its tail.