Red-necked Grebe -- Podiceps grisegena
STATUS: Populations decreasing or stable.
HABITAT: Inhabits quiet inland waters on prairies, in woodlands, and extending out onto tundra. Less commonly found on prairie sloughs and marshes, backwaters of rivers, and flooded areas.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Shallow lakes and ponds (rarely less than 10 acres per pair) with at least some emergent vegetation.
NEST: Usually a solitary nester although sometimes nests in loose colonies. Constructs an anchored floating nest on water 2 to 3 feet deep within or near edge of emergent vegetation such as cattails, sedges, rushes, and sometimes bushes. Sometimes builds nest on a muskrat house.
FOOD: Dives and feeds in water at or near the bottom. In marshes and lakes, consumes primarily aquatic insects and some fishes. Also takes land insects, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic worms, amphibians, and some vegetative matter.
REFERENCES: Chamberlin 1977, Palmer 1962, Tate and Tate 1982, Terres 1980.