Eared Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Most abundant grebe on Earth, staging by the millions on saline lakes. Doubles its body weight before migration.

Population: ~3.9-4.2 million individuals globally; probably the most numerous grebe species in the world
Habitat: Breeds colonially on shallow, vegetated freshwater wetlands and marshy lakes; during migration and winter it stages and roosts on saline/alkaline inland lakes, sheltered inshore seas, and coastal estuaries
Fun fact: Before migrating, Eared Grebes gorge on brine shrimp at staging lakes (like Mono Lake and the Great Salt Lake) until they nearly double their body weight, shrinking their digestive organs and atrophying their flight muscles in the process, which leaves them flightless for weeks (35-40 days) beforehand.
Range: Breeds across western North America (southwestern Canada, western/central USA), Europe, and temperate/central Asia, with a separate population in eastern and southern Africa; winters in the southwestern USA, Mexico and (rarely) Central America, the southwestern Palearctic/Mediterranean, East Asia, and East/southern Africa. Found on every continent except Australasia and Antarctica
Diet: Mainly aquatic insects (adult and larval forms) and small crustaceans; also mollusks, tadpoles, and small fish; at staging/wintering saline lakes it feeds heavily on brine shrimp and brine flies
Size: 0.32 m
Wingspan: 0.58 m
Lifespan: 8 years

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