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Red-necked Grebe

Status Fairly common transient, uncommon in winter. Autumn migrants are generally first noted in October (average 12 October, earliest 29 September). Counts of 40 or more have been made on Christmas Bird Counts around the province, but numbers diminish later in winter. Migrants gather at assembly points from mid-March to late April and are occasional into May (average 3 May, latest 15 May). A bird on a freshwater pond on Sable Island on 3 July 1967 (C. Bell) was possibly an unseasonable migrant.

Description Length: 46-52 cm. Adults in summer: Top of head and back of neck black; throat and sides of head white; front and sides of neck brownish red. Back and wings brownish black; white patch in wing. Underparts silvery gray. Bill pointed and nearly as long as head; toes with individually scalloped webs. Adults in winter and immatures: The brownish red on the neck is lacking and the upperparts have more gray than adults in summer.

Range North America, Europe and Asia. In North America it breeds from Alaska and Yukon to Washington State and Minnesota. Winters mainly in coastal waters from southern Canada south to the southern United States.

Remarks An expert in underwater manoeuvres, it can dive in a leisurely manner, dive hastily in a flash or merely sink slowly in a sitting position. It is particularly shy, keen and ever watchful as though expecting danger at any moment.

It is slightly larger than the Horned Grebe. When flying, a second white wing area is often visible on the anterior edge. It resembles the female Red-breasted Merganser, but mergansers have only one white patch in the wing. Its appearance in flight is different too: the merganser flies with head and neck extended straight out; this bird's head and neck seem to droop down from its body, an excellent field mark.

Grebes are unable to rise from land, and their take-off from water is slow and laborious.