The American Eared Grebe 



upon the relative abundance of the two species. It seems probable, how- 

 ever, that auritus is more abundant coastwise, while nigricollis keeps 

 largely to quieter waters, — lagoons and lakes. Horned Grebes are not, 

 strictly speaking, gregarious; they are, indeed, most likely to be seen 

 singly or in pairs; but good feeding grounds are not shunned for fear of 

 collisions; and one sometimes sees a score or more feeding over a space of 

 two or three acres when the tide is coming in. It is on such semi-sociable 

 occasions that they raise a curious, far-sounding note of complaint, 

 keogh keogh, with a nasal twang; or more sharply, keark keark; or even 

 vark yark. 



No. 423 



American Eared Grebe 



A. O. U. No. 4. Colymbus nigricollis californicus (Heermann). 



Description. — Adult in breeding plumage: A broad fan-shaped patch of length- 

 ened feathers on side of head, chiefly behind eye, rich straw-yellow to golden brown; 

 remainder of head and neck (including prominent crest) and chest, jet black; upper- 

 parts blackish, sometimes washed on upper back with rufous; primaries chocolate- 

 brown, washed with duller brownish; secondaries chiefly white; sides broadly rich 

 rufous or wine-red — this color (in highest plumage) washed across breast below black 

 and across crissum, and so surrounding silky grayish white of lower breast and belly. 

 Bill black; feet dull olive, blackening on soles; eyes flaming scarlet, their lids orange. 

 Adult in winter: Upperparts. neck all around, and sides grayish dusky, blackening 

 on top of head and on back; no rufous; no unusual feathers or crests on head: throat 

 and cheeks white; thus an obscurely-colored dusky-and-white bird, difficult to dis- 

 tinguish superficially from the Horned Grebe, C. auritus, in winter. Length 304.8- 

 355.6 (12.00-14.00); wing about 127 (5.00); bill 25.4 (1.00); depth at nostril 5.6 (.22); 

 width 6.6 (.26); tarsus 40.6 (1.60). 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size; single black crest and fan-shaped yellow 

 auricular patches distinctive in breeding plumage. In winter plumage very difficult to 

 distinguish from the Horned Grebe — however, note size, averaging smaller; somewhat 

 darker colored upperparts; more distinct wash of dusky on fore-neck; less trace of 

 special feathering on head; bill of different proportions, somewhat flattened at base. 



Nesting. — Nests in colonies. Nest: A floating raft of rootlets, moss, and 

 light water-plants, moored in the deeper water at edge of swamp. Eggs: 3 to 8; light 

 bluish green, rapidly fading and becoming nest-stained. Av. size 43.5 x 30 [1.71 x 

 1. 18] (Bent); index 68.9. Season: c. June 1 ; one brood. Escondido, one record, 

 Apr. 22, 1906. 7 eggs (Sharp). Nigger Slough, Los Angeles Co., 15 pairs, eggs, July 

 8, 191 1 (H. J. Lelande). Bear Lake, June 22, 1907, eggs (Willett). San Jacinto Lake. 

 June 8, 1897, 50 pairs (Ingersoll and Judson). Los Banos, June 3, 1914, one pair, 

 3 eggs (Dawson). Lake Tahoe, June 29, 1902, 4 eggs (Ray). Mono Lake, abundant. 



Range of Colymbus nigricollis. — Temperate portions of Eurasia and North 

 America, south in winter to Africa, India, and China, and in America to Guatemala. 



Range of C. n. californicus. — Western North America. Breeds from south 

 central British Columbia, Great Slave Lake, and central Manitoba, south to southern 



205I 



