Horned Grebe
The Horned Grebe is a relatively rare winter visitor to Salter Grove. If not for its short and pointy beak, it can be mistaken for a small duck. It can also be confused for the blockier Pied-billed Grebe, an even rarer winter visitor to the park. Based on records from 2002 to 2023, the Horned Grebe was first observed at Salter Grove in February 2010, and most recently sighted in March 2019. The northern arm of the breakwater would be a good vantage point to scan for this fish-eating bird.
During January and February, it has on a nondescript winter plumage -- gray from top of the head down to the back, and a dull white that extends from the cheek down the neck. By April, it becomes apparent how it got its name. Individuals develop golden tufts that stand out on a totally dark head, and the neck and body become a rich chestnut brown.
Instead of webbed feet, as in ducks and geese, the Horned Grebe has lobed feet like other grebes. The long scaly flaps along the toes increase the surface area of the foot and are very effective for propulsion through water. However, the feet are set so far back on the body that movement on land is very difficult. A bird afloat may appear lopsided because of its habit in tucking one foot under a wing while the other foot is used to move around in the water
Like other grebes, the Horned Grebe has the unusual habit of eating and then regurgitating its own feathers. The feather plug that forms in its stomach effectively traps the fish bones and hard exoskeletons of crustaceans in its diet. Besides allowing more time for extraction of nutrients from this hard and sharp material, the soft tissues of its digestive system are also protected from lacerations.
The grebes observed in the park are on their way north to breeding ponds and lakes that range from south-central Alaska to northwestern Ontario. During winter Horned Grebes are found along the Pacific coast from southern Alaska to Mexico, and to the east, from southern Nova Scotia down to the gulf coast.
It will only overwinter in water that remains unfrozen not just for feeding but because it needs to paddle along the surface of open water for some distance in order to get airborne.
The Horned Grebe also occurs in northern Europe where it is called the Slavonian Grebe. Unfortunately, due to forestry operations, and conversion of grasslands and wetlands within the past 30 years, numbers have declined in both the Nearctic and Palearctic populations. tIs conservation status has changed from least concern to vulnerable.