8 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN DIVING BIRDS 



Mr. W. L. Dawson (1909) describes it as "a voice, high and 

 broken, like nothing else perhaps so much as the creak of a neglected 

 pulley block." He says that the notes of the two sexes are different. 



Winter. During the latter part of September the western grebes 

 migrate to the Pacific coast, where they spend the winter in large 

 numbers, from Puget Sound to Lower California and Mexico, both 

 on the seacoast and in the larger lakes. They often gather into large 

 flocks, sometimes numbering several thousands, and wander about, 

 following the movements of the fish on which they feed and which 

 they are expert in catching. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. Western North America, particularly the prairie 

 regions. East to central Manitoba (Lake Winnipegosis, Lake Mani- 

 toba, and Shoal Lake), east central North Dakota (Devil's Lake 

 region), central eastern South Dakota (Hamlin County), and Ne- 

 braska (Garden County). South to northern Wyoming (Lake De 

 Swet), central Utah (Utah Lake), and southern California (Mystic 

 Lake, Riverside County). West to central western California (Lake 

 Merced, San Francisco County), central Oregon (Klamath Lakes), 

 and central western British Columbia. North to central British 

 Columbia (Stuart Lake, Cariboo district), northern Alberta (near 

 Edmonton), and north central Saskatchewan (Quill Lake). Noted 

 in summer, but not found breeding, in Arizona (near Yuma) and 

 southern California (Santa Barbara and San Diego). 



Winter range. West and south of the Rocky Mountains, mainly 

 on the Pacific coast. East to central British Columbia (Okanagan 

 Lake), western Washington (Olympia), western Nevada (Pyramid 

 Lake), southwestern Arizona (Gila River), and northern Mexico 

 (Chihuahua). South to southern Mexico (Pueblo and Jalisco). 

 West to the Pacific coast of Mexico and the United States. North 

 to southern British Columbia (Vancouver Island) and northern 

 Washington (Puget Sound region). 



Spring migration. Northward along the Pacific coast starting in 

 April. Lower California: Colnett Bay, April 7-8. California: 

 Santa Cruz Island, April 24 to May 2 ; Salton Sea, April 19. Wash- 

 ington, Steilacoom, April 21; Lake Chelan, May 11; Columbia 

 River, May 19. British Columbia: Elko, Bayne Lake, May 2; 

 Stuart Lake, May 6; Vancouver Island, April 24 to May 6. 



Northeastward across the Rocky Mountains early in May. 

 Nevada: Washoe Lake, May. Montana: Great Falls, May 9. 

 Alberta: Banff, May 8. Saskatchewan: Indian head, May 12 to 30. 



Fall migration. Southwestward across the Rocky Mountains. 

 Wyoming: Douglas, October 13. Colorado: Vicinity of Denver, 

 October 25 to November 28. Arizona: Gila River, November. 



