ORNITHOLOGIST 
_ A N D — 
0 6 L 0 GIST. 
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Joseph M. Wade, 
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Established, 
March, 1875 . 
10 Cents. 
VOL. VIII. 
BOSTON, 
JANUARY, 1883. 
No. 1. 
Breeding Habits of the Carolina and 
American Eared Grebes. 
Podilymbus podiceps and Bytes nigricollis Californicus. 
For several years I have given some at¬ 
tention to the Grebes, and am satisfied 
that the eggs of the smaller species are 
often confounded. Have carefully exam¬ 
ined more than a hundred nests of the 
Carolina, and a large number of the Eared, 
but kuow nothing of the Horned, having 
never seen a nest, and offer these notes 
for publication hoping they will draw out 
some further information, and that some 
competent person will give us in the O. 
and O. a full description of the nest of the 
Horned Grebe. The eggs of all three are 
very similar, but I think the nests, when 
well understood, will afford a certain 
means of identification. It certainly will 
of the two species under consideration. 
The Carolina breed plentifully in Wis., 
and at least as far west as middle Dakota. 
I have only found the Eared breeding in 
Dakota, but learn from good authority that 
they are common in Minn., but have never 
heard of their breeding east of the Mis¬ 
sissippi river. Do not think the Horned 
Grebe breeds in any part of this region. 
The most remarkable thing about the Car¬ 
olina is their shyness in the breeding sea¬ 
son. Weeks may be spent in their haunts 
without seeing a single one, and they are 
often quite common where their presence 
is not suspected. Was among them in 
Dakota five weeks ; found numerous nests 
and do not remember to have seen a single 
bird, except when caught in traps set on 
nests. This applies only to the breeding 
season; at other times they are tame 
enough, and can be seen anywhere. It is 
doubtless this feature, more than anything 
else, that has confused collectors. On 
many of the small lakes the Eared Grebes 
are seen in pairs, or small flocks, and on 
searching in the adjoining weeds and 
rushes Grebe’s nests are found which it is 
natural to suppose belong to the birds 
seen, and to make the confusion worse, the 
Eared is sometimes taken for the Horned, 
and the eggs marked accordingly. So it 
may happen that the eggs of the Carolina 
Grebe are marked Eared, or Horned, as 
the collector calls the birds seen. 
I will try to describe the nest of each 
species minutely enough to enable anybody 
to identify them on sight. The Carolina, 
or thick billed Grebe, breeds in lakes and 
sloughs, among thick rushes, reeds or 
grass where the water is two or three feet 
deep. The old decaying rushes or reeds 
are pulled together by the bird, and con¬ 
tinually piled upon each other till the fab¬ 
ric rises above the water. On this the 
nest is built, made of moss and debris 
brought up from the bottom. The struc¬ 
ture is large under water, often as large as 
a bushel basket. It generally floats, but 
sometimes reaches the bottom. Above 
water the nest is small, just large enough 
to hold the eggs, and is almost always wet. 
The eggs, six to nine in number, are clear, 
bluish-white at first, but soon become 
stained by contact with the wet nest. 
They are always covered in the absence of 
the bird. It is surprising how quick and 
effectually they will do this and get away 
without being seen. The nest when filled 
The Thick-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) Breeding in Kansas. — 
B. L. Bennett and V. L. Kellogg of Emporia, Kans., both report finding, 
May 26, 1885, in a pond or slough near the city, quite a number of the 
nests of this bird containing from five to ten eggs each.— N. S. Goss, 
Topeka , Kans. 
Auk, 2, Oct., 1886. p. 3 
