Red-necked grebe

Red-necked grebe with a rust-red neck and yellow bill swimming on rippled water, Manitoba

The red-necked grebe is a large, heavy-billed grebe. In breeding plumage it has a rust-red neck, a pale grey face, a black cap, and a yellow-based bill. In fall and winter it fades to a dull grey-brown.

Red-necked grebes nest on shallow, marshy lakes and sloughs across the prairies and parkland, building floating nests of plant material anchored to the reeds. Pairs perform noisy courtship displays and call loudly across the water. They dive for fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans, and the chicks often ride on a parent’s back.

I love the rusty neck and black cap of a red-necked grebe in breeding season, and the loud, wailing calls that carry across the water.

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

Field notes in photographs

  • Red-necked grebe with a rust-red neck and yellow bill swimming on rippled water, Manitoba
  • Red-necked grebe swimming on choppy water
  • Red-necked grebe photographed in Manitoba, 3

Red-necked grebe Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the red-necked 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 red-necked grebe nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the red-necked 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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