American Eared Grebe 7 



The adults in winter lack the crest and auricular tufts ; the chin, 

 throat and sides of the nape are white and the flanks slaty, without 

 rufous. Young birds are very similar, but the upper-parts are rather 

 lighter and duller. 



Distribution. — Western North America, from Great Slave Lake 

 south to Guatemala, and from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific. 



A conunon summer-resident in Colorado, where suitable conditions 

 exist, arriving from the south at the end of April or beginning of May, 

 and breeding from the plains to about 8,000 feet, chiefly in alkali 

 lakes. The following are breeding records : Loveland (W. G. Smith), 

 Barr, May to early July (Rockwell), Grand Lake 8,300 feet (Warren), 

 iliddle Park (Carter apiid Cooke), Twin Lakes ? 9,300 feet (Scott), 

 San Luis Lakes 7,500 feet (Henshaw), Plateau Valley, Mesa Co., 6,500 

 feet (Rockwell). 



It passes through the mountains on migration, and has been seen 

 as high as 9,000 feet near. Crested Butte in spring, by Warren, and 

 at Breckenridge by Carter. It is also met with along the foothills — 

 El Paso CO. (Aiken coU.), and Denver (Henshaw), on the plains as far 

 east as Limon (Aiken), and on the western slope near Coventry on 

 migration (Warren 09). 



Habits. — All Grebes resemble one another to a great 

 extent in their habits ; they are found almost exclu- 

 sively on shallow lakes and ponds, the margins of which 

 are thickly gvovm. ^\dth reeds and rushes. They swim 

 very low in the water and dive with great facility, having 

 the power of sinking quietly down into the depths when 

 alarmed, and moving under water with great rapidity 

 by means of their lobed flipper-like feet. They feed 

 chiefly on small aquatic insects and Crustacea and perhaps 

 small fish, and are accused of devouring trout ova and 

 fry. On land they are very awkward, generally shufihng 

 along on their beUies vdth the help of their wings, like 

 a seal. They fly well, as is shewn by their very con- 

 siderable migrating powers. 



Henshaw, who first noticed this bird in Colorado, 

 found them nesting in considerable numbers at the San 

 Luis Lakes near Fort Garland. The nests are generally 



