Pied-billed Grebe
Learn to identify the Pied-billed Grebe by ear. Master the "kow-kow-k’kow-kow-kow" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Pied-billed Grebe sounds like
A pudgy, short-necked grebe that looks more like a floating brown nugget than a sleek waterbird. In breeding plumage it sports a stout, whitish bill neatly encircled by a black band— the "pied" that gives the species its name. Often seen alone, it prefers to dive rather than fly when frightened, sometimes sinking out of sight without a ripple.
“kow-kow-k’kow-kow-kow”
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Pied-billed Grebe
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Pied-billed Grebe's sounds in these interactive in-app lessons.
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Where you'll hear it
Freshwater ponds, marshes, slow-moving rivers, reservoirs, and sheltered coastal estuaries with abundant emergent vegetation.
Nests late spring through summer; widespread on migration in early spring and late fall; congregates on larger, ice-free waters in winter.
Similar species
Horned Grebe
Slimmer bill, sharply pointed
Eared Grebe
Peaked crown gives triangular head shape
Least Grebe
Much smaller, tiny stub bill