Birds of Colorado 



Genus ^CHMOPHORUS. 



Bill long, slender and pointed, clearly exceeding the head ; cuknen 

 straight ; neck long ; tarsus, culmen and middle toe with claw all 

 approximately equal, no very conspicuous crest or rufi. 



One species only in western United States. 



Western Grebe, ^chmophorus occidentalis. 



A.O.U. Checkhst no I — Colorado Records — Morrison 89, p. 146 ; 

 KeUogg 90, p. 90 ; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48 ; Cooke 97, pp. 49, 155, 191 ; 

 Felger 09, p. 86. 



Description. — Adult — Top of the head, which is slightly crested, 

 and a line down the back of the neck black, becoming dusky brown 

 on the back, with concealed white bases to the primaries and some 

 white on the secondaries ; below from the bill, pxire white, with a satiny 

 gloss ; iris orange-red to pink with a white ring, biU olivaceous, feet 

 dusky, yellowish about the toes and inside of tarsus. Length 26 ; 

 wing 8-25 ; tail 2-0 ; tarsus 2-9 ; bill 2-8. 



The female is smaller — wing 7 '5. In winter the head and neck are 

 dusky brown hke the back. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Manitoba and Saskatchewan south to 

 central ^Mexico, wintering in the southern part of the range. 



In Colorado the Western Grebe is of rare occurrence during the fall 

 migration. It was first reported by Breninger from near Fort Collins 

 (Morrison) and subsequently from Estes Park by Pierce (Kellogg), 

 but the first undoubted record is that of H. G. Smith who saw three 

 examples in a Denver taxidermist's shop, which had been shot in 

 October, 1888, on lakes in the immediate neighbourhood. Two were 

 subsequently obtained on Sheldon's Lake near Fort Collins on October 

 29th, 1898, and one of these individuals is now mounted in the Museum 

 at that place. Felger recently reports another example taken November 

 9th, 1902, at Citizen's Lake, a few miles south-west of Denver ; th© 

 skin is preserved in his collection. 



Habits. — The Western Grebe haunts rush-covered lakes 

 where it rides the water lightly and easily. It is an 

 expert diver, either sinking quietly out of sight or rising 

 up and taking a header. Though difficult to flush from 

 the water, it flies well and strongly. The nest is a raft- 

 like structure of taU stems, grass and water-plants, 



