| Group | Loons & Grebes |
| Code | ABNCA02010 |
| Order | Podicipediformes |
| Family | Podicipedidae |
| Author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Rank | G5 (definitions) |
| Occurrence | SM (definitions) |
| Scale | C (definitions) |
| Western UP | all |
| Eastern UP | all |
| Northern LP | all |
| Southern LP | Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw |
Forested or Nonforested Landscapes
(Lake or Pond or River)
adjacent to:
Any Emergent Wetlands
view decision rule term definitions
| Habitats | Regen | Sap | Pole | Sm Saw | Lg Saw | Uneven |
| Aspen | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Paper Birch | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Oak | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Assorted Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Spruce/Fir | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Hemlock | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Jack Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Red Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| White Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Conifer Plantations | no | no | no | no | no | - |
| Mixed Upland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Northern Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Upland Conifer | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Pine | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Swamp Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Bottomland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Tamarack | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Northern White Cedar | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Black Spruce | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Hardwoods | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Mixed Lowland Conifer | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Non-Forested | Lake, Pond, River, Marsh 1, Marsh 2 (MARSH) | |||||
| Special Features | none |
Habitat: In the breeding season this bird is found on lakes and ponds and in marshes, requiring a combination of an abundance of food, open water at least 30 cm deep for foraging, and emergent vegetation for nesting. Ponds as small as 0.2 ha may be used, but those smaller than about 4 ha seldom have more than one pair.
The bulky floating nests are made of vegetation, most of it brought from under water. Usually, they are anchored to and hidden by emergent vegetation. Fluctuating water levels, wave action, and predation, especially by raccoons are the most frequent causes of nest failure.
Habitat: Breeding: Ponds with heavy emergent vegetation, marshes, and marshy inlets with areas of open water, sluggish streams with protective vegetation overhanging banks, reed-bordered swamps with open water. Wintering: Interior rivers and open lakes, tidal creeks and estuaries. Prefers fresh water.
Special Habitat Requirements: Birds need open water to become airborne, some aquatic vegetation (type not important).
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes; in winter also salt bays. In breeding season, chooses sites with heavy marsh vegetation but with some open water also. In migration and winter, still most likely on marshy freshwater ponds, but also on more open waters, including estuaries and coastal bays.
Diet: Insects, fish, other aquatic life. Diet highly variable with location and season; probably eats most small aquatic creatures in its habitat. Major food items include aquatic insects, crustaceans, small fish, leeches; also eats mollusks, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, spiders, small amounts of aquatic plants. Like other grebes, swallows many feathers and feeds feathers to young.
Nest: Site is in shallow water in marsh, next to opening so that birds can approach nest underwater. Nest a dense mass of plant material, floating or built up from bottom, anchored to standing vegetation.