Western grebe

Western grebe swimming with a downy chick riding on its back, Manitoba

The western grebe is a large, elegant waterbird with a long, slender neck, a black cap that runs down past the eye, and a clean white throat and front. It has a long, yellow-green bill and bright red eyes.

In Manitoba, western grebes spend the summer on large, reedy marshes and lakes, nesting in colonies on floating platforms of vegetation. They are famous for their courtship display, in which pairs rise up and rush across the water side by side. Chicks often ride on a parent’s back.

Want to learn more about the western grebe and where it lives? Visit its page at All About Birds.

Here is one of my favourite frames of this bird, with a chick riding along.

Field notes in photographs

  • Western grebe swimming with a downy chick riding on its back, Manitoba
  • Three Western grebes swimming on calm water, one in the foreground with a red eye and long yellow bill, Manitoba
  • Western grebe with a red eye and long yellow bill swimming past green reeds, Manitoba
  • Two western grebes facing each other in courtship
  • Western grebes rushing across the water in a courtship display
  • Western grebes presenting weed in a courtship ritual
  • Western grebe swimming among reflections

Western grebe Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the western grebe in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the western grebe nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the western grebe in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Plains and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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