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During the breeding season, this striking grebe has a rufous neck and flanks, dark
back and face and solid yellow “horns.” Its eyes are red, even in the
nonbreeding season. Wintering birds have white cheeks, throat, neck and lower flanks. The
shorter, straighter, white-tipped bill and flatter crown of Horned Grebes distinguish them
from Eared Grebes. The smaller size and shorter, dark bill distinguish them from
Red-necked Grebes. Horned Grebes breed in the northern Great Plains, usually solitarily or
in small colonies. They winter in sheltered marine environments and occasionally on the
open sea. In the southern Great Plains they are found on inland waters. Declines in
breeding numbers are suspected. Several conservation activities, such as preventing the
encroachment of woody vegetation around wetlands and maintaining stable water levels
during nesting, have been incorporated into habitat management plans to increase breeding
success.
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