The
pied-billed grebe (
Podilymbus podiceps) is a species of water bird in the
grebe family, Podicipedidae. It is found in ponds throughout the Americas, from Canada south to Argentina and Chile. The pied-billed grebe is small, stocky, and short-necked, with a length of around 31 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 in), a wingspan of 45 to 62 centimeters (18 to 24 in) and a mass of 253 to 568 grams (8.9 to 20.0 oz). It is mainly brown, with a darker crown and back. The undertail is white and it has a short, blunt, light-grey bill, encircled in summer by a broad black band, giving the bird its name. There is no
sexual dimorphism, and juveniles have black and white stripes. The pied-billed grebe rarely flies, but is known for its slow dive, which can reach depths of 6 meters (20 ft). It feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates, and also on small fish and amphibians. This pied-billed grebe of the subspecies
P. p. antarcticus was photographed in Parque La Florida,
Cundinamarca, on the outskirts of
Bogotá, Colombia.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
_Cundinamarca.jpg)
