Pied-billed Grebes, Masters of Stealth By Jay V. Huner |
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Ever been out on the water and noticed a very small, dark, non-descript duck-like bird, turned away, looked back, and the bird was gone without a ripple or indication it was ever where you saw it? If the bird had a sharp, pointed white beak with a black band, you most likely saw a Pied-billed Grebe before it pulled its classic Houdini act! Pied-billed Grebes can contract their abdominal muscles to compress their body feathers and exhale to disappear without a trace. They are gone like "un sac au plumb" gently placed on the water. This Cajun name translates as "a sac of lead". The ability of these 9 inch birds to dive and swim great distances underwater gives rise to English names like "hell diver" and "di-dipper". Pied-billed Grebes are well adapted to swimming and diving with their legs set well back on their bodies. This makes it very difficult for them to move on land like their giant cousins the loons. They can barely scoot along. A grebe's wings are so small and its breast muscles are so weak that it is very difficult for it to get into the air. Given an option, a grebe will dive. But, if it decides to try to fly, it must flap its wings frantically and run along the surface to get air born. Feet are not webbed. Rather, the toes have fleshy lobes. If a Pied-billed Grebe is trapped on land, for example, landing on a wet field or wet pavement by mistake, it simply cannot take off again. Its only hope is that it can slither to nearby water or a friendly human takes it to water. Otherwise it is doomed. Pied-billed Grebes are year round residents in ponds, lakes and reservoirs throughout the piney woods. They nest in heavy vegetation where they build their nests on floating rafts of plant material. Once hatched, the little grebes can dive and forage almost immediately. Parents can be seen giving their offspring rides on their backs. Pied-billed Grebes are found throughout North America but those in northern areas migrate southward in the fall to escape ice-covered waters. That is why we see them, often in fair numbers, throughout the winter. Despite their weak wings, once air borne, these small birds can fly long distances, generally at night. Pied-billed Grebes are often heard but not seen. They make an awful racket that one author describes as "kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh/kub-kub-kub ... Kowh, Kowh Kowh, Kowh. Check Pied-billed Grebe on the internet and listen to the sound. There are actually seven different grebes in North America including Western, Clark's, Least, Pied-billed, Red-necked, Horned, and Eared grebes. However, the only Horned and Eared grebes are found with some regularity in piney woods waters during the winter. All grebes enjoy federal and state protection. I know of no historical directed hunting efforts. Diets of aquatic insects, crustaceans including crawfishes, and fishes surely result in a gamey flavor that few would find tasty. Jay V. Huner |
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