AN ANNOTATED LIST 
OF THE 
Birds of San Diego County, California 
By FRANK STEPHENS 
Water Birds 
Order PYGOPODES. Diving Birds. 
Excellent divers, obtaining their food principally under water; 
the food consisting of small fishes, water beetles, larvze and other 
aquatic life. They prefer escaping from their enemies by diving 
rather than by flight. Innocuous, with the possible exception of 
consuming small quantities of young fish. 
Family COLUMBIDZ. Grebes. 
1. WESTERN GREBE. Achmorphus occidentalis. 
Rather common winter residents (Sept. to April) on the ocean 
and bays along the coast. A few are found in winter on the larger 
fresh water ponds and reservoirs. 
2. HORNED GREBE. Colymbus auritus. 
Occasional winter visitants off shore, rare on bays and inland 
waters. Immature birds are difficult to distinguish from imma- 
ture birds of the next species. 
3. EARED GREBE. Colymbus nigricollis californicus. 
Common winter residents on salt and fresh waters of the 
county. A few remain through the summer on tule-bordered 
fresh water ponds and breed. Not as abundant as they were be- 
fore plume hunters began killing them for the skins of their breasts. 
4. PIED-BILLED GREBE. DABCHICK. Podilymbus 
podiceps. 
Present in small numbers all the year. Breed about tule- 
bordered marshes and ponds. Also found on salt water in winter. 
The winter residents go north in spring and are replaced by new- 
comers from the south. 
Family GAVIIDA. Loons. 
5. COMMON LOON. Gavia immer. 
Common winter residents (October to April) along the coast 
and on the bays, occasional on reservoirs and lakes containing 
fish. 
6. PACIFIC LOON. Gavia pacificus. 
Rather common at the same time and places as the preceding, 
except that they are not known to go any distance inland. 
7. RED-THROATED LOON. Gavia stellata. 
Rather rare winter visitant. Found only on salt water. 
