Eared & Horned Grebes in HD

Eared and Horned Grebes with Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Goldeneyes feeding south of the Tramp Harbor Pier, Vashon Island on 25 Dec 2010.

Grebe id notes - The video starts with an eared grebe in the mid right and horned grebes in the middle and mid left. A third horned pops up at 1 sec. Horned grebes have white necks and sides of the head with a clearly delineated dark cap. Eared grebes lack a clearly delineated cap and have what appear to be ear flaps on their cap (the Elmer Fudd look). The first eared grebe is in a "fluffed butt" posture and this also provides a cue to id. At 25 sec four eared grebes pop up and fluff their feathers. Watch as they move around and as they get ready to dive they compress the fluffed feathers. Going frame by frame it is easy to see this. All four dive by 42 sec and a horned pops up. No idea why eared grebes fluff up on the surface and horned grebes don't.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• grebe
• merganser
• scaup
• goldeneye
• Vashon Island
• University
• of
• Puget
• Sound
• Museum