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3. Horned Grebe. ¥FR.—LE GREBE CORNU. Colymbus auritus. L. 13°50. The 
Horned Grebe is about the same size as the Pied-billed Grebe mentioned next, but with a 
much sharper and more slender bill. The summer adult has a red neck (much like Holbecell’s), 
prominent ochraceous ear tufts, and a full projecting ruff on the cheeks from hindhead to 
throat. In the autumn and winter a shining almost black and white head contrasts with 
the duller coloration of the Pied-billed Grebe. 
Distinctions. The juvenile, a plain, greyish-black and white bird, may be mistaken 
for the young Pied-billed Grebe, but can be distinguished by its shiny white forehead and 
breast, slender bill, and white wing patch. 
Field Marks. Slender, sharp bill, white foreneck and wingpatch. 
Nesting. Similar to the preceding. 
Distribution. Across the continent, breeding locally within the borders of present 
settlement and northward, but more commonly west than east. 
The Horned Grebe on migration inhabits the larger bodies of water 
and is less commonly seen on the small mud holes where the Pied-bill 
often occurs. 
6. Pied-billed Grebe. DAB-CHICK, HELL-DIVER, WATER-WITCH. FR.—LE GREBE A 
BEC BIGARRE. Podilymbus podiceps. L, 13°50. Plate LA. 
Distinctions. The Pied-bill can be separated from all other Canadian Grebes by its 
relatively heavier and stouter bill with its spot and its more strongly arched culmen, and 
from the juvenile Horned Grebe in any plumage, by its darker, less shiny foreneck, breast, 
and underparts, and the absence of a white wing patch. 
Field Marks. Size and shape of bill, spot on bill, lack of white wing patch, and black 
throat patch in spring. 
Nesting. Along the marshy edges of ponds and lakes on stationary or floating plat- 
forms. 
Distribution. Across the continent, breeding from our southern borders northwards; 
probably any grebe found nesting south of a line drawn between Ottawa and Sault Ste. 
Marie will be of this species. 
This is the common breeding grebe of eastern Canada, where it is 
found in the nesting season or during migration on nearly every pond or 
slough. It frequents clear, open water less than its relatives. The diving 
powers of the grebes are well known, and they are well developed in this 
species. Diving at the flash of the gun it is often safe under water by the 
time the shot reaches the spot it recently occupied. Even breech-loading 
guns are not always quick enough to catch it, though the general use of 
smokeless powder has put it at considerable disadvantage. The grebes 
have the faculty of swimming either low or high in the water. By pressing 
the air from the thick soft plumage and by compressing that in the body 
cavities the grebe can increase its specific gravity, and gradually sink into 
the water until only the bill is above the surface, in which position it will 
hide and, barring accidents, escape the most prying eyes. 
Economic Status. We have little accurate information as to the 
exact constituents of the food of the grebes. The Pied-bill, however, 
probably lives upon small fish and aquatic insects, supplemented more 
or less by vegetable matter. The fish, owing to the bird’s habitat, are 
mostly mud-frequenting species of little economic importance. The 
insect content of its food probably consists largely of predaceous species 
hike large water beetles that occasionally do some damage to fish fry. 
The vegetable matter is unimportant. On the whole, we can regard the 
Pied-billed Grebe as absolutely harmless except in the rare cases when it 
pays a passing visit to pools or ponds devoted to trout or other valuable 
fish culture. 
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