Endangered Resources Program Species Information
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)

Red-necked Grebe Photo by Donna Dewhurst. Check the photos tab for additional photos.
Photo © Donna Dewhurst

Species information from the Bureau of Endangered Resources. See also:

Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan Profile

Overview

Species Overview

Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena), a bird listed as Endangered in Wisconsin, prefers seasonally or permanently flooded wetlands with extensive beds of aquatic plants and large beds of softstem bulrush in open country. Nesting habitat includes wetlands with patches of open water and stands of bulrush (Scirpus validus, S. acutus) or similar emergents.

Status and NHI Documented Occurrences in Wisconsin

The table below provides information about the protected status (State and Federal Status) and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena). See the Working List Key for more information about the abbreviations used. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. For invertebrates, dots depict locations from the "Invertebrate Atlas," a database with occurrences of rare and common aquatic and select terrestrial invertebrate species found in Wisconsin and adjacent areas. While the invertebrate atlas is a quality assured database, not all records have been verified. The map is provided as a general reference of where this species has been found to date and is not meant as a range map.

Summary Information
State Status:	END
Federal Status in Wisconsin:	none
State Rank:	S1B
Global Rank:	G5
Tracked by NHI:	Y
Species of Greatest Conservation Need:	Y

Documented locations of Podiceps grisegena in the Natural Heritage Inventory Database as of April 2009.

Detailed Information

Identification: The red-necked grebe is the second largest grebe in North America. Plumage includes gray upper body with white below. Top of head is black, cheeks are nearly white, neck is dark red, bill is straight and mainly black with yellow at the base, and eyes are dark brown. Diagnostic field characteristic is angular tuft of feathers toward rear of crown. Legs and feet are black. This bird is short-bodied, long-necked, and long billed.

Habitat: Nesting habitat includes wetlands with patches of open water and stands of bulrush (Scirpus validus, S. acutus) or similar emergents. Fresh water lakes, lagoons, floodwaters, and calm rivers with some emergent vegetative cover are commonly used.

Natural Community Associations: The Wildlife Action Plan lists the natural community associations for this species.

State Distribution: Uncommon spring migrant; rare fall migrant. Rare summer resident. The largest population exists in Rush Lake, Winnebago County. Recently, between 35-65 pairs have nested there annually. In the Grassy Lake Wildlife Area in Columbia County, one to three pairs have nested annually since 1975. Range in Wisconsin is generally the westcentral and south-central parts of the state. A map outlining Pre-1977 and 1997 to Present Distribution is available.

Diet: Diet consists of mostly minnows and small fish; also crayfish, aquatic insects and their larvae, tadpoles, salamanders, vegetative matter.

Clutch: Usually 3-6 blue-white eggs; laid from May to June.

Incubation: 22-23 days, by both parents. Young probably fledge at about 8-10 weeks.

Nest: Marsh grasses, reeds, rushes, and mass floating on water.

Management Guidance: Wetland habitat loss is the major factor contributing to population declines in the state. The alteration or destruction of wetlands eliminates nesting habitat. Conservation of large inland wetland complexes is critical to the stability of red-necked grebe populations.

Information compiled from publication ER-091.

Photos

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