Horned and Eared Grebes 



105 



S 



Horned and Eared Grebes. The genus Dytes, as recognized by American 

 ornithologists, contains three or four forms in which the bill is much shorter than 

 the head and the wings barely more than six inches in length. Of these the 

 Horned Grebe (D. auritus} is best known, being found throughout the northern 

 portion of the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere, breeding in the New 

 World mainly north of the 



nited States, and in winter 



nging over most of the 

 United States, as well as 



urope, Japan, and China, 

 is between thirteen and fif- 



en inches long and has the 



ick and wings blackish, with 



ic lower neck and chest ru- 

 ms, and the sides of the 



:ciput with a very full dense 



ift of soft, ochraceous 

 Dlumes, whence its common 



ime. It is found mainly in 



ic interior, although fre- 

 quently visiting the seacoast 

 in winter; Thompson reports 

 it as abundant in Manitoba. 

 The Eared Grebe (D. nigri- 



collis), which has a relatively wider bill than the last, is found throughout cen- 

 tral Europe and Asia, and may be known by the head, neck, and chest being 

 black instead of rufous and by the crest being more tuft-like or fan-shaped. 

 Closely allied, but having the inner quills with the inner web wholly dusky 

 instead of white, is the American Eared Grebe (D. nigricollis calif ornicus) of 

 western North America. 



Peruvian Flightless Grebe. Lake Titicaca, in southern Peru, is the exclusive 

 home of a curious flightless Grebe (Centropelma micro pterum). The general color 

 above is dark brown mixed with chestnut on the sides of the lower back and rump, 

 the crown and occiput as well as the sides of the neck being rich chestnut, while 

 the chin, throat, and fore neck are white and the under parts dull rufous tinged 

 with satiny white; the length is about sixteen inches. According to Professor 

 Garman, these birds are very common about all parts of the lake where the water 

 is at all shallow, feeding on fishes and batrachians. "They are unable to rise 

 from the water, but by flapping their rudimentary wings and striking the water 

 with their feet, they manage to progress quite rapidly for a short distance. They 

 dive quickly at the discharge of a gun so quickly that unless taken unawares 

 will dodge the shot and escape, often swimming a long distance under water 

 before reappearing." 



Great Crested Grebe. With the bill about as long as the head, and the wing 



FIG. 32. Horned Grebe, Dytes auritus. 



