THE HOLBOELL GREBE S83 



No. 356. 



HOLBOELL'S GREBE. 



A. O. U. Xo. 2. Colymbus holb(£llii ( Reinh. ). 



Description. — Adult in nuptial plumage: Head with short dense occipital 

 crest, heaviest on sides and squarel_v cut off behind ; top of head, inchiding crest, 

 ridge of neck behind, and upperparts. very deep hair-brown, or brownish black 

 with a silky sheen, pure on head antl neck and wings, with slight edgings of dull 

 bufiy and ochraceous on back: prmiaries not difierent; a large white patch on 

 central secondaries (recalhng the speculum of ducks) ; throat and sides of head 

 pale ashy gray, becoming white on borders ; neck in front and on sides liright 

 cinnamon-rufous, shading on fore-breast into the silvery white i>f remaining 

 underparts ; posterior feathers dusky-tinged ; bill bluish dusk}-, varied bv vellow 

 on lower mandible; feet and legs black. Adult in zcintcr and coninionly: Similar 

 but duller and sides of head pure white: the rufous jjersistent onlv on sides of 

 neck, and paler, the red replaced b_\- ashy-brown or dull whitish : not crested. 

 Immature: Similar to adult in winter but duller: without any rufous: under- 

 parts grayish white; neck and breast asln-fuscous, throat and sides of head lighter, 

 but not white: bill lighter; feet and legs mottled with }ellow. Length 18.00-20.00 

 (457.2-508 ) : wing 7.70 ( 195.61 ; bill 1.90 (48.3 1 : tarsus 2.50 (63.5 ). 



Recognition Marks. — Something under Mallard size (owing to abbreviated 

 tail), but appearing larger, nearer Brant size; rufous of neck, when present, dis- 

 tinctive ; stouter, chunkier ])roportions, and with shorter neck and shorter heavier 

 bill as compared with Western Grebe. 



Nesting. — Xest: a heap of half-.submerged or floating vegetation in pond 

 or reedy lake margin. Eygs: 2-5. dull greenisli white ; except when fresh, heavily 

 nest-stained. Av. size, 2.2},x 1.35 ( 57.2 .\ 34.3 ). Season: c. May 20; one brood. 



General Range. — North America at large including Greenland. Also eastern 

 Siberia and southward to Japan. Breeds in high latitudes, migrating south in 

 winter. 



Range in Washington. — Common winter resident, especially upon salt 

 water ; common migrant thruout the State : rare breeder u]>on lakes of the East- 

 side only. 



Authorities. — Chapman, Hull. .\m. Alus. .\. H. HI. ( 1890), I2ij, 155. T( ?). 

 C&S?Rh. D'. Kk. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W. ) Prov. B. BX. E. 



IF one frequents the beaches of Puget Sound he soon learns that there is 

 a characteristic bird population which stretches along at just a little more 

 than shot-gun range from shf)re. As he advances o\-er the rubble or pauses 

 to surmount a wave-worn snag, there is a sotmd of spattering and whistling 

 wings ahead, followed by the inevitable line-up just out of range. In 

 an_\- but the summer season, Holboell's Grebe is almost invariably num- 

 bered with this shifting, distrustful company of sea-fowl. Pigeon Guillemots, 



