FAMILY ColymhidcB 



FAMILY COLYMBIDM: GREBES 



^ Pied-billed grebe, Podilymhus podiceps. 



13.50 



Distribution: North and South America 

 except extreme northern and southern parts. 

 Common resident and migrant in Pacific 

 Coast states. 



The home of the pied-billed grebe is in 

 shallow ponds full of tall water grass and tules 

 and in the larger lakes and sloughs with reed 

 bordered shores. While many grebes may 

 be found inhabiting the same body of water 

 it is rare to find them nesting near each other 

 as they seem to require more territory than 

 most water birds. 



Along with the coot and great blue heron 

 the pied-billed grebe is known to every 

 country boy in America, going under the 

 common names of hell-diver, water- witch and 

 dab-chick in different parts of the country. 

 The peculiar yelping, hollow cry of the grebe 

 is one of the characteristic sounds of the 

 marsh, and when it is taken up and repeated 

 by a dozen other birds at the same time it is a 

 weird sound. 



The grebe looks like an almost tail-less 

 duck of a sooty brown color, with yellowish 

 bill encircled with a black band. It will be 

 144 



