25 



KEY TO GREBES 



1 Wings >180 mm (181-215) long; bill longer than the head OR bill 



>44 mm (45-79) long; tarsus >60 mm. 2 



1' Wings <155 mm; bill shorter than the head OR bill <30 mm; tarsus 



<45 mm. 5 



2 Wings with white on inner primaries and outer secondaries; bill 

 length >58 mm; scales on bottom of tarsus smooth; feet olive to 

 yellow. 3 



2' Wings with no white on primaries only on secondaries; bill 45-56 

 mm; scales on bottom of tarsus pointed; feet dark brown. 



RED-NECKED GREBE 



3 Bill yellow to orange at base; black of cap not extending to lores; 



dark of back pale in color. WESTERN GREBE, light phase 4 



3' Bill yellowish green; black of cap extending below eye to lores; 



back quite dark. WESTERN GREBE, dark phase 4 



4 Bill stiletto-shaped (Plate 2-5), 67-80 mm long and 9.5-13.0 mm 

 deep at anterior edge of nares; wing length 192-214 mm. 



WESTERN GREBE, male 



4' Bill much more slender and upturned (Plate 2-6), 55-71 mm long and 



8-11 mm deep; wing 184-203 mm. WESTERN GREBE, female 



5 Only a white spot at tip of inner web of outer secondaries or no 

 white on secondaries; bill chicken-like (very deep and blunt), 

 hooked at tip (Plate 2-1); feathers on front of crown with bristle- 

 like tips; outer lobes of toes wide, webbing between toes extending 

 more than half the toe length. PIED-BILLED GREBE 



5' Broad white areas on both webs of some secondaries; bill slender, not 

 hooked at tip; feathers on crown without bristle-like tips; outer 

 lobes of toes narrow, webbing extending less than half the toe 

 length. 6 



6 Bill higher than wide at base; tarsus 44.5-49 mm. In winter, black 

 of cap extending sharply only to level of eye; in breeding plumage, 

 much of neck, upper breast and area along sides chestnut. 



HORNED GREBE 



