Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) are among the strangest-looking waterbirds that I see on a regular basis. Their heads are large and blocky, their bills are short and thick, and their tails are tiny. I love the description of the species found on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website that states, “The Latin genus name for “grebe” means “feet at the buttocks”—an apt descriptor for these birds, whose feet are indeed located near their rear ends. This body plan, a common feature of many diving birds, helps grebes propel themselves through water. Lobed (not webbed) toes further assist with swimming. Pied-billed Grebes pay for their aquatic prowess on land, where they walk awkwardly.”
Pied-billed Grebes seem to be in motion almost all of the time in repeated cycles of swimming and diving. Generally I spot these kind of grebes in deeper waters, out of the range of my telephoto zoom, but this Pied-billed Grebe was swimming a bit closer to shore than the others and I was able to capture this image during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.