The Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is a small, compact grebe in the order Podicipediformes and family Podicipedidae. It is best identified by its short, pointed bill and, in breeding plumage, a nearly black head with reddish neck and distinctive orange-buff ear plumes. In winter, the plumage becomes drab with white cheeks and a dark crown. These birds are excellent divers, staying submerged for up to three minutes, and are awkward on land due to their rear-set legs. Early naturalists, including Chester A. Reed in 1916, noted the deep diving abilities of grebes, which earned them the nickname "devil divers."
Learn to identify
Horned (Slavonian) Grebe in breeding plumage, by a Saint Petersburg photographer; location not stated.
Learning lesson · openly licensed photographs, labelled by BirdBot; labels checked against the cited sources and approved by AI
Golden "horns": orange-yellow tufts above and behind the eye. White-tipped bill: straight and pointed, with a white tip. Black cheek fan: fan-shaped black feathers on the face. Chestnut neck and flanks: reddish neck and sides; the back is black. Summer: reddish neck plus golden horns.
Winter birds are black and white, with no horns.
Sources: Audubon Guide to North American Birds: Horned Grebe · Wikipedia: Horned grebe (revision 1365097959)
Photo: Ekaterina Chernetsova (Papchinskaya) from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; labels added by BirdBot.
Horned Grebes are 31 to 38 cm long and weigh 300 to 570 g. They resemble small, compact ducks with short, pointed bills. The most striking feature is the seasonal change in plumage. Breeding adults have a reddish neck, breast, and flanks, with a dark back and throat. The head is nearly black, and conspicuous orange-buff to golden ear plumes distinguish the species from other grebes and give it its name. The bill is dark, and the breast is white.
In winter, the plumage is much duller. The cheeks, throat, and breast are white, while the crown, nape, and back are dark. The bill is also duller than in breeding plumage. Males are slightly larger, heavier, and more brightly colored than females, but the sexes are similar in overall appearance. Juveniles resemble adults in their non-breeding plumage.
During the breeding season, Horned Grebes are found predominantly on prairie and boreal freshwater lakes with both open waters and marsh vegetation. They may also nest in marshes, small sloughs with weedy margins, ponds, and occasionally on rivers. According to AviList v2026, the species breeds from Iceland, the northern British Isles, and Scandinavia to eastern Russia, and in North America from southern and central Alaska through western and central Canada and the northern tier of contiguous western and central USA states.
Horned Grebes are migratory, moving to coastal saltwater habitats such as protected bays and exposed shores for the winter. They occasionally overwinter on large freshwater lakes. Their wintering range extends to the coasts of the North Sea, northern Mediterranean, and western Asian seas, as well as the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts to central Florida.
Horned Grebes are excellent swimmers and divers. During dives, they may stay submerged for up to three minutes and travel 150 to 200 meters. They can control their specific gravity to adjust how high they float in the water. On the water, they are graceful, but on land, they are very awkward. Their legs are set so far back on their bodies that they are hardly able to walk.
Like other grebes, Horned Grebes must run along the surface of the water to take off. They fly quickly with rapid wingbeats, with their feet and neck outstretched and their head inclined downward. They migrate at night, typically alone.
The diet of Horned Grebes consists mainly of aquatic arthropods in the summer and fish and crustaceans in the winter. Leeches, tadpoles, salamanders, and some plant material may also be consumed on occasion. On wintering grounds, mollusks may also be part of the diet. Horned Grebes capture their prey by diving underwater. They swallow small items while underwater but bring large items to the surface to manipulate before swallowing. Like most other grebes, they swallow many feathers, which presumably aid in the digestion of sharp objects such as fish bones.
Chester A. Reed, writing in 1916, observed that the species is "very expert at pursuing and catching" small fish, noting that a captive individual would "never miss catching the shiners... at the first lightning-like dart of his slender neck." Reed also recorded that they eat "quantities of shell fish" and possess a "keen appetite," suggesting a generalist approach to aquatic prey.
Horned Grebes begin breeding when they are 1 year old and usually raise one brood per year. Pairs form in the winter or spring and may breed together for more than one season. They breed between mid-May and early October, with peak activity occurring from June through August.
The nest is located in shallow water among marsh growth. It is built by both sexes and consists of a floating mass of wet plant material with an indentation in the center for the eggs. The nest is anchored by standing vegetation. The female lays 3 to 8 eggs (usually 5 to 7) at a rate of approximately one every other day. The eggs are initially whitish to buff but quickly become stained red and brown from the nest material. Both parents incubate the eggs for 23 to 24 days.
The precocial chicks are able to swim and dive immediately after hatching but are commonly seen riding on their parent's back for the first week. The parents brood the young for approximately 9 days and feed them for up to 14 days. Chicks become essentially independent at 20 to 25 days old but cannot fly until they are 41 to 50 days old.
Horned Grebes display complex courtship rituals involving many different ceremonies and displays. Both the male and female participate in posturing, rising up on the water to a vertical position with head feathers raised fully. They then dive together and both come up with bits of weeds carried in the bill. They rush along the water, side by side, carrying the weeds.
Horned Grebes are largely silent birds, but during the breeding season, territorial birds produce a variety of twitters, whines, shrieks, and chatter. Most vocalizations relate to the establishment and maintenance of the pair bond, and to territory and brood defense. Members of a breeding pair sometimes trill in duet.
The Horned Grebe is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List as recorded in AviList v2026. Populations appear to have declined in recent decades, though solid data is lacking. Habitat loss and degradation are major threats, with drought-related loss of wetlands greatly affecting the species. Oil spills, pesticide accumulation in aquatic habitats, ingestion of plastics and lead, and entanglement in fishing nets also negatively impact Horned Grebe populations.
To observe Horned Grebes ethically, focus on their preferred habitats. In the breeding season, look for prairie and boreal freshwater lakes with marsh vegetation. In winter, check coastal saltwater bays and exposed shores. Use binoculars or a spotting scope to observe from a distance, especially during the breeding season when courtship displays occur. A unique field cue for early spring is the "weed-carrying" display, where pairs rise vertically, dive together, and rush side-by-side carrying bits of weeds in their bills. Avoid disturbing nesting sites by keeping a respectful distance from floating nests in shallow marsh water.
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