Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2017-59
| Common name: |
Red-necked Grebe |
| Scientific name: | Podiceps grisegena |
| Date: | November 14, 2017 |
| Time: | 10:30 a.m. |
| Length of time observed: | 15 min |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult |
| Sex: | Unknown |
| Location: | Pineview Reservoir |
| County: | Weber |
| Latilong: | 41° 15’41.54N 111° 49’27.68W |
| Elevation: | 4,900 ft |
| Distance to bird: | 90 yards |
| Optical equipment: | 85 mm spotting scope with 20 x 60 zoom eyepiece |
| Weather: | Overcast, breezy, spitting rain, temps in 40's |
| Light Conditions: | Flat |
| Description: Size of bird: | About half the size of a nearby Common Loon |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Body: half-football, neck half as long as body, head shaped like a door-stop wedge |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Dusky with little contrast except white belly/secondaries |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Spear-like |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Swimming alone, not with a dozen WEGR not too far away. Very dusky and about half the size of a nearby Common Loon with a skinny neck and head in comparison to loon. Sturdy, spear-like straight-edged bill. Yellow lower mandible, dusky tip. Upper mandible yellow at base and dusky along the culmen. Dark crown, low arch to flat-headed with peak at rear. Cheeks below eye and throat whitish with dusky overtones. Dark, dusky neck front and back with no color other than gray/black apparent in flat light. Gray, half-football shaped body with minimal, whitish, fluffy undertail coverts. White secondaries visible with a wing flap. Dived frequently. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | None heard. |
| Behavior: | Swimming, diving alone; rose up out of water forward/above belly once and flapped wings. |
| Habitat: | Large, deep, freshwater reservoir. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
From Western/Clark's Grebe: More compact body, no clearly demarcated black back
of neck from white front. From Red-throated Loon: Crown low arch to flat, yellow bill rather than gray and held pointed down rather than up. From Horned Grebe: Very dusky, lacking clearly demarcated white cheek from black crown. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Several November RNGR, many WEGR, CLGR, HOGR. One RTLO. |
| References consulted: | Sibley, photos taken by five subsequent observers. |
| Description from: | Notes made later |
| Observer: | Kristin Purdy |
| Observer's address: | Ogden, Utah |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Mike Hearell, Neldon Kunz, Bill Hunt, Bryant Olson, Lauri Taylor |
| Date prepared: | 11/15/2017 using notes from 11/14/2017 eBird checklist |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |