{"id":43217,"date":"2016-11-22T05:48:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-22T12:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=43217"},"modified":"2025-10-28T13:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:08:09","slug":"immature-pied-billed-grebe-running-across-the-water-with-prey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/22\/immature-pied-billed-grebe-running-across-the-water-with-prey\/","title":{"rendered":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe running across the water with prey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ImmatureImmature Pied-billed Grebe being chased over the water – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Last month I captured a series of images of an immature Pied-billed Grebe running across the water with prey in its bill at Farmington Bay WMA.<\/p>\n

The reason it was running across the top of the water was because it was being chased by another Pied-billed Grebe that was just outside the frame of all of the photos on this post.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Pied-billed Grebe rushing across the water with prey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This immature grebe had caught a fairly large weather loach when the other grebe noticed it and started to chase the young grebe.<\/p>\n

Pied-billed Grebes, indeed all grebe species, have a very hard time walking on the ground<\/span><\/a> because their legs are set so far on the back of their bodies but that doesn’t seem to hinder them at ALL when they run across the surface of the water.<\/p>\n

The grebes move so fast when they are running that it is hard to track them and keep them in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Pied-billed Grebe scooting across the water with prey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This immature Pied-billed Grebe was able to evade the other grebe chasing it and eventually swallowed the weather loach whole.<\/p>\n

The Latin genus name for \u201cgrebe\u201d means \u201cfeet at the buttocks\u201d and the first image at the top certainly shows that well!<\/p>\n

And the chase is part of kleptoparasitism. Kleptoparasitism<\/span><\/a> is a form of feeding in which one bird or animal deliberately takes food from another.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Last month I captured a series of images of an immature Pied-billed Grebe running across the water with prey in its bill at Farmington Bay WMA. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1022,697,135,26],"tags":[877,707,4067,5638,4094,4009,4166,4106,4148,4298,3996,5526,4095,4193],"class_list":["post-43217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-pied-billed-grebes","category-utah","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-immature","tag-kleptoparasitism","tag-marsh","tag-pied-billed-grebe","tag-podilymbus-podiceps","tag-prey","tag-running","tag-rushing","tag-water","tag-weather-loach","tag-wetlands","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-running-mia-mcpherson-8977.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-bf3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42808,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/10\/24\/immature-pied-billed-grebe-running-on-the-water-with-its-prey-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":0},"title":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe running on the water with its prey at Farmington Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I took a series of action photos of this immature Pied-billed Grebe running on the water with its prey as it was being chased by another grebe that was trying to steal the food this young grebe had caught.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe running on the water with its prey, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-running-mia-mcpherson-8978.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-running-mia-mcpherson-8978.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-running-mia-mcpherson-8978.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-running-mia-mcpherson-8978.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48276,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/08\/27\/pied-billed-grebe-with-prey-at-farmington-bay-west-davis-corridor-impacts\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":1},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe with Prey at Farmington Bay – West Davis Corridor Impacts","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In just a little over two weeks birders, hunters and bird photographers should have access to more of Farmington Bay WMA than we have had since March. Or will we?","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe scooting across the water with prey, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-mia-mcpherson-8986.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-mia-mcpherson-8986.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-mia-mcpherson-8986.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile-prey-mia-mcpherson-8986.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34122,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/12\/13\/pied-billed-grebe-with-a-large-fish\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":2},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe With A Large Fish","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When a few of the grebes caught sight of this Pied-billed Grebe with a large fish they started to chase it over the water.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pied-billed Grebe with a large fish being chased by other grebes at Farmington Bay WMA in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-7104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-7104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-7104.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-7104.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49416,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/13\/pied-billed-grebe-with-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":3},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe With Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It can be especially fun to watch these small grebes catch a fish to eat and then see the other Pied-billed Grebes nearby try to steal the fish away from it because of the action that can occur.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pied-billed Grebe about to be chased, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fish-mia-mcpherson-8367.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":118683,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/02\/immature-pied-billed-grebe-being-chased-and-other-grebe-behaviors\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":4},"title":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe Being Chased And Other Grebe Behaviors","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 2, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, I photographed an immature Pied-billed Grebe being chased by an adult at my local pond. I observed some other interesting grebe behaviors as well.","rel":"","context":"In "Pied-billed Grebes"","block_context":{"text":"Pied-billed Grebes","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/grebes\/pied-billed-grebes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Pied-billed Grebe being chased, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-chased-mia-mcpherson-8805.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-chased-mia-mcpherson-8805.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-chased-mia-mcpherson-8805.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-chased-mia-mcpherson-8805.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4672,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/23\/pied-billed-grebe-juvenile\/","url_meta":{"origin":43217,"position":5},"title":"Pied-billed Grebe Juvenile","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As I observed and photographed this Pied-billed Grebe juvenile it preened some, did a few stretches and fluffed up it feathers.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up juvenile Pied-billed Grebe at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-fluffy-mia-mcpherson-6643.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}