Western grebe and chick.

There are so many fascinating birds in the world, and Canada is home to many of them. Grebes are fish-eating birds with webbed feet and specialized bills that allow them to both spear fish underwater and to catch/hold onto their slippery prey. They are the largest grebe in North America and easily identifiable because of their long necks, red eyes, and two-toned appearance. Western grebes have a most interesting behaviour when it comes to mating; they are easily the most intricate of all the grebe species.

The courtship display of the western grebe is an amazing behaviour. They perform a "rushing dance," sometimes called the "weed dance," where a pair will rise out of the water using their feet and patter across its surface in tandem for quite a distance (click here to see video). It is called a weed dance because they sometimes will hold small pieces of reed or other aquatic plant in their bills while performing. Although I have seen many western grebes and have taken numerous photographs of them I have never witnessed the ritual.

They usually lay 2, 3, or 4 eggs; baby grebes are called dabchicks. The young can swim almost immediately but spend much of their time nestled safely on a parent's back. Both parents rear the young. They grow rapidly and are capable of flight after 10 weeks. In Canada, they are summer residents and leave in the fall to overwinter in fresh or saltwater areas in the southern US or Mexico.

These magnificent birds were once hunted for their feathers. Although populations have rebounded since the end of this abysmal practice their populations are under serious pressure from the loss of habitat. They need weedy coves or marshy areas to breed. These areas may be drained, filled in, or exploited for recreation areas. If the nest is disturbed the parents will leave it and the eggs become easy fodder for opportunistic feeders. The use of poisons to control undesireable fish populations has also had an effect on their conservation status. This is another reason why invasive species are such a nuisance; when we try to control them we end up destroying native populations. Thankfully, these birds are protected, but our actions can still impact them even when we are not intentionally harming them.

We have to have a global mindset when it comes to protecting the environment and wildlife. A small change in one place can produce significant consequences elsewhere. The struggle here is that it often takes years to determine why populations are declining. Wildlife management needs to be seen as a global initiative, not a local one.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen