Western Grebe
(Aechmophorus occidentalis)

Summary

Picture of bird
© Glen Tepke (www.pbase.com/gtepke)
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Western Grebe breeds colonially on lakes and marshes throughout Canada’s western provinces and forms large offshore feeding flocks in winter. Local Christmas Bird Counts in British Columbia and results from throughout North America indicate a large decrease in the  population. Although this may partly reflect a shift in wintering distribution southward along the Pacific Coast (Wilson et al. 2013), regional data sources also support breeding declines in British Columbia and Alberta. In 2014, the Western Grebe was assessed as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) due to these declines and the potential for increased threats. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Listing of the main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
COSEWIC (Canada)Special Concern2014 
SARA (Canada)No Status  
IUCN (Global)Least Concern2012 
Wild Species (Canada)Secure2010 
Bird Conservation Region StrategyPriority Species2013 

Population status

Geographic areaStatusReliability
CanadaLarge DecreaseMedium
 

Population estimate

Canada10,000 - 25,000 breeding birds
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Short-distance migrant

Responsibility for conservation of world population

CanadaModerate

Conservation and management

Although protected from hunting since the start of the 20th century, the Western Grebe's gregarious behaviour leaves it vulnerable to human activities throughout its annual cycle (COSEWIC 2011, COSEWIC 2014). They are dependent on large lakes with sufficient open water and fish, but also with large beds of emergent vegetation where they can build floating nests protected from waves. Shoreline development and other habitat degradation, as well as boat traffic and altered water levels, can cause abandonment of nest sites and severely reduced breeding success on the breeding grounds, while oil spills, mortality from entanglement in fishing nets and declining herring stocks (their main food source) present important threats during winter (Wilson et al. 2013, COSEWIC 2011, LaPorte et al. 2013).

 

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.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
Boreal Taiga PlainsBoreal Taiga Plains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern Region
Great BasinGreat Basin, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Northern Pacific RainforestNorthern Pacific Rainforest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Northern RockiesNorthern Rockies, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Prairie PotholesPrairie Potholes, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern Region
 

References