Pied-billed Grebe
(Podilymbus podiceps)

Overview

Summary

© Christian Artuso
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Dependent on ponds and wetlands throughout its annual cycle, the Pied-billed Grebe is widely distributed across Canada. Results from the Breeding Bird Survey indicates that abundance of this species has increased in Canada relative to 1970, although during that time the population has shown strong fluctuations among years. Impacts of wetland loss are likely important, but remain unquantified. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• Birds of North America Online

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Like many other waterbirds, Pied-billed Grebes have likely been affected by broad-scale loss and degradation of wetlands because they depend on these habitats throughout both breeding and wintering seasons (Muller and Storer 1999, Sandilands 2007). Suitable nesting habitat may also be limited, and both nests and eggs may be lost due to wave action from storms or from human disturbance and recreational activities (Muller and Storer 1999).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Muller, M.J. and R.W. Storer. 1999. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Muller, M.J. and R.W. Storer. 1999. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Sandilands, A. 2007. Pied-billed Grebe. pp. 142-143 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.