Horned Grebe

“It’s a duck!” “It’s a loon!” “It’s Superman!” Actually, it’s a grebe. While grebes are superficially similar to loons, they have shorter tails, weaker flight, and longer necks. DNA evidence shows that grebes are more closely related to flamingos and pigeons (of all things) than they are to loons. You could say that Horned Grebes look like devil-birds, especially in their yellow-horned breeding plumage, but the insult would probably roll off of their backs like water droplets.

Grebes are diving birds that eat whatever aquatic animals they can get their bills on. They’re usually alone or in small groups, but they can be seen in salt water all over the lower mainland in winter. I saw this one on February 11 at the White Rock Pier.