Podiceps grisegena holbollii
Status: Rare casual spring migrant statewide. Rare regular fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor statewide. Accidental in winter.
Documentation: Photograph: 24 Nov 1995 Lewis and Clark Lake, Knox Co (Brogie 1996).
Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized, grisegena in Eurasia and holbollii in North America (Gill et al 2022).
Nebraska birds are holbollii.
Changes since 2000: The number of reports has increased substantially since 2000. Prior to 2001 there were about 32 records in all (Sharpe et al 2001), but by Jun 2023 the count has risen to about 110; most reports are from Lake Ogallala, Keith Co.
Spring: This species overwinters on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and thus is rare in the Interior (AOU 1998), especially in spring. There are 17 spring reports, only nine accepted, all since 2001: 26 Mar 2017 Lake Ogallala, Keith Co pre-alternate molting adult, 17 Apr 1984 Dakota Co (Bray et al 1986), 17-24 Apr 2021 Stagecoach Lake SRA, Lancaster Co, 22-23 Apr 2004 Lake Ogallala alternate adult, 28 Apr 2001 Lake Ogallala alternate adult, an alternate adult photographed 1 and 16 May 2012 in Dodge Co, 8 May 2010 Fuchtman Playa, Antelope Co alternate adult, and an alternate adult at Crescent Lake NWR, Garden Co 18 May 2018.
The following additional reports are within the expected migration period and are probably correct: 7 Apr 1927 Omaha (Swenk 1933), 10 Apr 1963 Lincoln Co, 19 Apr 1966 Gage Co (Fiala 1970), 12 May 1992 Scotts Bluff Co, 13 May 1979 Douglas Co (Cortelyou 1979), 17 May 1967 Scotts Bluff Co, 22 May 2012 Lake McConaughy, Keith Co, and an immature in Scotts Bluff Co 2 Jun 2002.
Summer: Nesting has not been recorded in Nebraska; this species is an uncommon local summer resident only as far south as northeastern South Dakota (Tallman et al 2002) and northwestern Iowa (IOURC 2018). Lake Ogallala, Keith Co hosted 1-2 adults from 10 May-17 Oct 2016, but no breeding evidence was reported.
There are these accepted records: 10 May-17 Oct 2016 (1-2 adults) Lake Ogallala, 10 Jun 2007 basic adult Lake McConaughy, 16 Jun 1985 Lancaster Co (Garthwright 1985; Mollhoff 1987), and 10 Jul 2012 alternate adult Lake Ogallala.
Fall: Oct 15, 17, 18 <<<>>> Dec 7, 9, 11
There are earlier records 15 Aug-15 Sep 2001 Lake Alice, Scotts Bluff Co, 26 Aug 2001 Johnson WPA, Phelps Co, 3 Sep 2006 Lake Ogallala, 7 Sep-11 Oct 2000 Lake McConaughy, 16 Sep 2017 Lake Ogallala, 26-27 Sep 1996 Sutherland Reservoir, Lincoln Co (Dinsmore and Jorgensen 1997), 26 Sep 2007 Smith Lake WMA, Sheridan Co., and 30 Sep 2021 Lake McConaughy.
These early records may involve adult molt migrants that have complete the wing molt or in some cases juveniles; adults undergo pre-basic molt Jul-mid Sep, usually following a molt migration away from breeding sites to favored wing molt sites as early as mid-Jul shortly after juveniles are capable of flight (Stout and Cooke 2003).
Later records are 19 Dec 2023 (2) immatures Knox Co, 21 Dec 1995 Lake McConaughy (Dinsmore 1996), 21 Dec 2014 Lake Ogallala, 22 Dec 2023-2 Jan 2024 Lake McConaughy, 29 Dec 2012 (3) Lake McConaughy, 2 Jan 2016 (4) Lake McConaughy, and one on 2 Jan 2021 Lake McConaughy.
There was a total of six reported 24 Oct-9 Dec 2020.
- High counts: 4 at Lake McConaughy 2 Jan 2016, 3 there 3 Dec 2000, 3 at Calamus Reservoir, Loup Co 14 Nov 2006, and 3 at Lake McConaughy 29 Dec 2012.
Winter: The only record of overwintering is of two adults and an immature, the latter present since 6 Nov and the adults first seen 1 Jan, at Lake McConaughy 1999-2000.
Images
Abbreviations
AOU: American Ornithologists’ Union
IOURC: Iowa Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
NWR: National Wildlife Refuge
SRA: State Recreation Area
WMA: Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
WPA: Waterfowl Production Area (Federal)
Acknowledgement
Photograph (top) of a Red-necked Grebe at Stagecoach Lake State Recreation Area, Lancaster Co 19 Apr 2021 by Larry Porter.
Literature Cited
Bray, T.E., B.K. Padelford, and W.R. Silcock. 1986. The birds of Nebraska: A critically evaluated list. Published by the authors, Bellevue, Nebraska, USA.
Brogie, M.A. 1996. 1996 (Eighth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 65: 115-126.
Cortelyou, R.G. 1979. 1979 (Fifty-fourth) Spring Migration and Occurrence Report. NBR 47: 42-54.
Dinsmore, S.J. 1996. Red-necked Grebe. NBR 64: 131.
Dinsmore, S.J., and J.G. Jorgensen. 1997. Red-necked Grebe at Sutherland Reservoir. NBR 65: 99-100.
Fiala, K.L. 1970. The birds of Gage County, Nebraska. NBR 38: 43-72.
Garthright, W.C. 1985. Red-necked Grebe. NBR 53: 77.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
IOURC. 2018. Red-necked Grebe. Iowa Ornithologists Union bird checklist, accessed 27 Oct 2015.
Mollhoff, W.J. 1987. First report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 55: 79-85.
Sharpe, R.S., W.R. Silcock, and J.G. Jorgensen. 2001. The Birds of Nebraska: their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Stout, B.E., and F. Cooke. 2003. Timing and Location of Wing Molt in Horned, Red-necked and Western Grebes in North America. Waterbirds 26: 88-93. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2003)026[0088:TALOWM]2.0.CO;2.
Swenk, M.H. 1933. A brief synopsis of the birds of Nebraska. II. Grebes. NBR 1: 142-151.
Tallman, D.A., Swanson, D.L., and J.S. Palmer. 2002. Birds of South Dakota. Midstates/Quality Quick Print, Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 7 Mar 2024