{"id":118050,"date":"2023-11-11T04:53:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T11:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=118050"},"modified":"2024-03-14T06:55:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T12:55:05","slug":"eared-and-horned-grebe-nonbreeding-plumage-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/11\/eared-and-horned-grebe-nonbreeding-plumage-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"Eared And Horned Grebe Nonbreeding Plumage Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"

This morning, I wanted to share an Eared and Horned Grebe nonbreeding plumage comparison. Why? Because, at this time of year, I can see both species.<\/p>\n

Both of these small grebe species can be found in northern Utah during the coldest months of the year. Eared Grebes<\/span><\/a> can be abundant, while Horned Grebes<\/span><\/a> are uncommon.<\/p>\n

In breeding plumage, these two small grebe species are easy to tell apart due to their distinctive facial plumage and patterns<\/span><\/a>. But when they are in their winter plumage? Not so much for novice birders.<\/p>\n

I’ve been seeing Eared Grebes in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> for several weeks. When I find them I make it a point to stop, scope them all with my lens, and look for Horned Grebes. I’d love to have more photos of both species, especially Horned Grebes.<\/p>\n

\"EaredEared Grebe in marsh habitat – November 14, 2022 \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Eared Grebe in nonbreeding plumage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eared Grebes have a black cap that extends downward into a smudge on the cheek, with a grayish neck that accentuates a white chin patch. Their heads are described as ‘less clean-cut’ than Horned Grebes. They are more dusky overall, especially on the neck.<\/p>\n

The bills of Eared Grebes are slightly upturned and not as heavy as the bills of Horned Grebes. They also lack the white tip on their bills that Horned Grebes typically display.<\/p>\n

\"HornedHorned Grebe in marsh habitat – January 11, 2022 \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Horned Grebe in nonbreeding plumage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Horned Grebes have a black head that sharply contrasts with a white cheek, gray-black upperparts, and grayish-white underparts. Their necks are usually white on the front. They tend to appear more black-and-white overall.<\/p>\n

Their bills appear straighter and heavier than the bills of Eared Grebes. Typically, they have a white tip on their bill but that is not always the case, so I look for the other identification features when it is lacking.<\/p>\n

Size Difference<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Horned Grebes can be about an inch larger than Eared Grebes, but size in the field, especially when you have a single bird, isn’t always the best measure to use.<\/p>\n

Head Shape Differences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eared Grebes have a thinner neck with a smaller head. The crown is highly peaked above the eye, not flat.<\/p>\n

Horned Grebes have a thicker neck and larger head with a flatter crown.<\/p>\n

Here are two curveballs, though. Both of these grebe species can raise and flatten the feathers on their heads, so I don’t solely rely on their crowns for identification purposes. Instead, I look for other key identification features. Additionally, without having both species in front of me at the same time, the size of their head is also a feature on which I don’t heavily rely.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

During this time of the year, my bird brain gets picked about this: Is it Eared or Horned?<\/p>\n

Now you know how I know<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But, kind of in slow motion, my bird brain zips through this so fast in the field that it sometimes freaks me out a bit. And it’s my brain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Eared Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/a><\/span> to see my Horned Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning, I wanted to share an Eared and Horned Grebe nonbreeding plumage comparison. Why? Because, at this time of year, I can see both species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,163,27,1148,377,12541,26],"tags":[970,9088,14563,4982,14562,4385,4620,877,707,12543,5013,4094,4246,12542,4271,8816,14561,3996,5123,4095,14564,373],"class_list":["post-118050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-bird-identification","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-eared-grebes","category-horned-grebes","category-utah","tag-autumn","tag-bills","tag-clean","tag-comparison","tag-dusky","tag-eared-grebe","tag-fall","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-horned-grebe","tag-identification","tag-marsh","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-podiceps-auritus","tag-podiceps-nigricollis","tag-shape","tag-size","tag-water","tag-waterbirds","tag-wetlands","tag-white-tip","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/eared-grebe-marsh-mia-mcpherson-4109.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-uI2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":97866,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/12\/04\/eared-grebe-photos-these-grebes-have-such-fluffy-butts\/","url_meta":{"origin":118050,"position":0},"title":"Eared 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Plumage Comparison","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, I took a photo of a Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage at my local pond. Today, I decided to do a comparison with one in nonbreeding plumage.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"February Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pied-billed-grebe-adult-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8404.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pied-billed-grebe-adult-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8404.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pied-billed-grebe-adult-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8404.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Eared Grebes are the most abundant grebe in North America, there are times I see huge flocks of them on the Great Salt Lake numbering in the tens of thousands.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eared Grebe on a gray day at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/eared-grebe-mia-mcpherson-gray-day-5360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/eared-grebe-mia-mcpherson-gray-day-5360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/eared-grebe-mia-mcpherson-gray-day-5360.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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