Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Bradley Handford, Kari Kirschbaum
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Horned grebes are excellent swimmers and divers. During dives they may stay submerged for up to three minutes and travel 150-200 meters. They may also control their specific gravity in order to control how high they float in the water. Horned grebes are graceful on the water, but very awkward on land. Their legs are set so far back on their bodies, that they are hardly able to walk (Bull and Farrand Jr. 1988).

Like other grebes, Podiceps auritus must run along the surface of the water in order to take-off. Horned grebes fly quickly with rapid wingbeats. Their feet and neck are outstretched during flight and their head is inclined downward (Ransom 1981).

Horned grebes are migratory, spending the breeding season on inland lakes and moving to the coast during the winter. They migrate at night, and typically alone.

Horned grebes are largely silent birds; however, during the breeding season, a variety of twitters, whines, shrieks, and chatter are given by birds with territories (Bull and Farrand Jr. 1988). (Bull and Farrand Jr, 1988; Ransom, 1981)

Home Range

During the breeding season, horned grebe home ranges typically range from 330 to 30,000 square meters. (Stedman, 2000)

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Bradley Handford, Kari Kirschbaum
Some rights reserved

Horned grebes exhibit very complex and varied physical displays that they use to communicate with one another. They also use vocalizations to communicate, particularly during the breeding season. Most of the vocalizations relate to the establishment and maintenance of the pair bond, and to territory and brood defense. Members of a breeding pair sometimes trill in duet. (Stedman, 2000)