20 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



Food habits. — ^A prejudice against grebes prevails in many 

 sections on account of their supposed destruction of fish, but 

 a study by the Biological Survey of the contents of 57 stom- 

 achs of the homed grebe showed that its food consists largely 

 of insects, which furnished about a third of the total; of 

 crawfish and other crustaceans, which also made up about a 

 third ; and of fishes, which furnished about 28 per cent. Con- 

 siderable quantities of feathers were found in most of the 

 stomachs examined.f 



PIED-BILLED GREBE; DIDAPPER; HELL-DIVER; 



DABCHICK: Podilymbtts podiceps podiceps 



(Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The pied-billed grebe is fairly numerous as 

 a migrant in ponds, rivers, and bays in all parts of the State. 

 Occasionally a few may remain during the breeding season, 

 as on a millpond near Autaugaville, where L. S. Golsan ob- 

 served a pair during all of May, 1911, but no nest has as yet 

 been discovered in the State. 



On the coast the species occurs in moderate numbers during 

 the winter and more commonly during the migrations. One 

 was seen October 24, 1908, on Little Lagoon, and small num- 

 bers in ponds on Petit Bois Island, February 12, 1912, and 

 November 24, 1915. A few were seen also in November 

 and December, 1915, near Bayou Labatre, and in Duckers 

 Bay and Nigger Lake. 



In fall this grebe usually appears at Leighton about the 

 middle ef September and remains until the middle of October. 

 It was recorded there also on July 27 and August 19, 1893. 

 A few sometimes stay till winter. In spring it is found in 

 some numbers from the middle of March to the second week 

 of May (McCormack). Dr. Avery found it not uncommon 

 in spring at Greensboro, where it arrived about March 15. 

 Single birds were observed by the'writer on Warrior River, 

 near Lock 15, April 12 (1912), at Montgomery, April 19 

 (1912), and on Sipsey Fork, near Melville, May 1 (1914). 



General habits. — This little grebe is partial to fresh water,, , 

 being most often found on ponds, rivers, and lakes, though 



tMcAtee, W. L., Some common same, aquatic, and rapacious birds in relation to 

 man: Farmers' Bull. 497, U. S. Dept. Agr., Kepr. pp. 16-17, 1917. 



