Learn what a horned grebe looks like and where you can find this water bird. Get information about their habitat, diet, sounds and nests.
How to Identify a Horned Grebe
Published on Apr. 16, 2025
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What Does a Horned Grebe Look Like?
“Can you identify this bird?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Tommy Sharp of Crossville, Tennessee.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Although this swimmer looks like a duck, it’s actually an unrelated bird: a horned grebe. The horned grebe in your photo is wearing its black-and-white winter plumage or is just starting to molt into its more colorful summer plumage.”
Breeding adults have black heads, reddish brown necks and golden yellow head tufts (‘horns’).
All grebes have lobed toes and are most comfortable in the water. Their legs are back on the body, making walking a difficult task. Instead of taking flight, grebes will often dive below the surface when they feel threatened.
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Habitat and Nesting Habits
“Grebe family members are totally aquatic, diving and swimming expertly underwater,” Kenn and Kimberly say. “They even build floating nests so they won’t have to go on land.”
Horned grebe chicks will ride atop the backs of their parents. They can even remain in place as the adults dive underwater.
Diet: What Do Horned Grebes Eat?
This water bird’s diet mainly consists of small fish, amphibians, crustaceans and insects. Adults will eat feathers and also feed them to their young. This is to filter fish bones and crustacean bits in the stomach.
Horned Grebe Range
This species spends the summer mostly in western Canada and Alaska, but in winter it may be found on lakes and coastal bays throughout the southeastern states, in parts of the Southwest and all along the Pacific Coast.
Similar Species
Other North American grebes to know include the pied-billed grebe, western grebe, eared grebe, Clark’s grebe and the red-necked grebe.
Sounds and Calls
Horned grebes are mostly quiet in winter but more vocal during the breeding season. Listen for their frequent loud trills; you might also hear alarm calls.
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Next, learn how to identify an American coot.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
Sources
- All About Birds – horned grebe
