Photo: Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) — Grebes, Loons & Flamingos of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a member of the Podicipedidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 412 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Podicipediformes
- Family Podicipedidae Grebes
- Genus Podilymbus
- Species podiceps
Where it lives
Northwestern Canada through USA, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America to central Chile and northern, west-central Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 412 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Podicipedidae
- Order
- Podicipediformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pied-billed Grebe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Pied-billed Grebe is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) belongs to the Podicipedidae family of the order Podicipediformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA nw Canada through USA, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America to c Chile and n, wc Argentina.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 412 g, with a wing length of about 12.6 cm and a tail of around 3.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 21.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pied-billed Grebe?
The Pied-billed Grebe is a large bird that weighs around 412 g.
Where does the Pied-billed Grebe live?
The Pied-billed Grebe is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA nw Canada through USA, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America to c Chile and n, wc Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Pied-billed Grebe belong to?
The Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) belongs to the Podicipedidae family, in the order Podicipediformes.
What does the Pied-billed Grebe eat?
The Pied-billed Grebe hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Pied-billed Grebe migrate?
The Pied-billed Grebe is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Pied-billed Grebe endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Pied-billed Grebe make?
1 real field recording of the Pied-billed Grebe — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pied-billed Grebe's range?
The Pied-billed Grebe has a mapped global range of about 21.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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