DIVING BIRDS 
1. Western Grebe. Aechmophorus occidentalis 
Range.- — Western parts of North America, from 
southern Alaska southward; east to Minnesota 
and south in winter to the southern parts of the 
United States and Mexico. Breeds from the Da- 
kotas and northern California northward. These 
are the largest of the American Grebes; owing to 
their unusually long necks, they are frequently 
called “Swan Grebes.” They are very timid 
birds and conceal themselves in the rushes on 
the least suspicion of danger. At times, to escape 
Chalky bluish white, stained buff 
observation, they will entirely submerge their 
body, leaving only their head and part of the 
long neck visible above the water. This Grebe 
cannot be mistaken for any other because of the 
long slender neck and the long pointed bill, 
which has a slight upward turn. They nest abund- 
antly in the marshes of North Dakota and central 
Canada. Their nests are made of decayed rushes, 
and are built over the water, being fastened to 
the rushes so that the bottom of the nest rests in 
the water. The nesting season is at its height 
during the latter part of May. They lay from 
three to five eggs, the ground color of which is a 
pale blue; this color is, however, always concealed by a thin chalky deposit, 
and this latter is frequently stained to a dirty white. Size 2.40 x 1.55. 
Western Grebe 
Holboell’s Grebe 
Colymbus holboellii. 
Range.- 
2. Holboeli/s Grebe. 
-Throughout North Amer- 
ica, breeding from northern United 
States northward and wintering 
from the middle to the southern 
portions of the United States. 
In regard to size this Grebe comes 
next to the Western, being 19 in. 
in length. This bird can be dis- 
tinguished by the white cheeks and 
throat and the reddish brown fore- 
neck. They breed abundantly in 
the far north placing their floating 
islands of decayed vegetation in 
the water in the midst of the 
marsh grass. They lay from three 
to six eggs of a dingy white color 
which have the stained surface common to Grebes eggs. Size 2.35 x 1.25. 
11 
White, stained buff 
