A relatively slender-necked, large grebe. Body is gray with paler sides; dark strip connects up back of neck to black crown; white face reaches above eye. White underneath from throat to belly. Long, slender bill is yellow to yellow-orange. Out of water, lobed toes on feet make walking awkward. In basic plumage, black smudging obscures white above eye. Sexes are similar. Western Grebe, formerly considered conspecific, has greenish-yellow bill, darker body, and lacks white above eye. Hybrid pairs are often observed at sites where both species breed.

Length: 64 (cm) Wingspan: 61 (cm)

Voice:

Ratcheting, creaking, echoing calls, single or double-noted.

Habitat:

Open ocean, bays, estuaries, large rivers, deep lakes, reservoirs.

Behavior:

Breeds colonially; nest is a floating platform of vegetation among reeds. In spring courtship display, pairs run together upright along water's surface. Sometimes flocks loosely with Western Grebes.

Feeding:

Dives and swims to catch fish and other aquatic organisms.