American Eared Grebe fi 
The adults in winter lack the crest and auricular tufts; the chin, 
throat and sides of the nape are white and the flanks slaty, without 
rufous. Young birds are very similar, but the upper-parts are rather 
lighter and duller. 
Distribution—Western North America, from Great Slave Lake 
south to Guatemala, and from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific. 
A common summer-resident in Colorado, where suitable conditions 
exist, arriving from the south at the end of April or beginning of May, 
and breeding from the plains to about 8,000 feet, chiefly in alkali 
lakes, Tho following are breeding records: Loveland (W. G. Smith), 
Barr, May to early July (Rockwell), Grand Lake 8,300 feet (Warren), 
Middle Park (Carter apud Cooke), Twin Lakes ? 9,300 feet (Scott), 
San Luis Lakes 7,500 feet (Henshaw), Plateau Valley, Mesa Co., 6,500 
feet (Rockwell). 
It passes through the mountains on migration, and has been seen 
as high as 9,000 feet near, Crested Butte in spring, by Warren, and 
at Breckenridge by Carter. It is also met with along the foothills— 
El Paso co. (Aiken coll.), and Denver (Henshaw), on the plains as far 
east as Limon (Aiken), and on the western slope near Coventry on 
migration (Warren 09). 
Habits.—All Grebes resemble one another to a great 
extent in their habits; they are found almost exclu- 
sively on shallow lakes and ponds, the margins of which 
are thickly grown with reeds and rushes. They swim 
very low in the water and dive with great facility, having 
the power of sinking quietly down into the depths when 
alarmed, and moving under water with great rapidity 
by means of their lobed flipper-like feet. They feed 
chiefly on small aquatic insects and crustacea and perhaps 
small fish, and are accused of devouring trout ova and 
fry. On land they are very awkward, generally shuffling 
along on their bellies with the help of their wings, like 
a seal. They fly well, as is shewn by their very con- 
siderable migrating powers. 
Henshaw, who first noticed this bird in Colorado, 
found them nesting in considerable numbers at the San 
Luis Lakes near Fort Garland. The nests are generally 
