Aechmophorus grebe in St. Louis County
2013-05-29

First record for St. Louis County

This presumed hybrid or intermediate Clark'sÐWestern Grebe was present through midday on the Lake Superior side of Park Point, east of the utility buildings near the south end of the Sky Harbor Airport. It was in the company of four Western Grebes, and twice it engaged in synchronized neck and bill motions with one of the Westerns as if they were pair bonding. Note the eye is almost completely surrounded by white feathering, and its flanks are noticeably whiter than on a typical Western Grebe (the eye and flanks on the grebe's left side looked the same as on the right). However, its bill (both sides) was not bright orange-yellow as on a typical Clark's Grebe, although it did appear brighter and more yellow than the duller greenish-yellow bills of the Westerns. In addition, it was smaller and not as tall as the Western Grebe it was courting with; this is visible in other images and is a character I have seen on other Clark's Grebes in the past, although I don't consider it diagnostic. I am aware of only one Clark's Grebe record in northeastern MN (Duluth, 7 May 1987; see The Loon 59:210-211) and no records of hybrids/intermediates in this part of the state. For more information on the identification of Clark's vs Western grebes, see: http://moumn.org/loon/view_frame.php?block=99&year=1989

Kim R. Eckert ("digiscope" image with 25-50X Leica spotting scope and Panasonic DMC-ZS20 camera)