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Conserv. status: SRANK: Abundant Breeder (S5B)

Number of squares Confirmed Probable Possible Point counts 306 29 276 684 Long-term BBS trends Region Years Trend (conf. interv.) Reliab. Manitoba 1970 - 2015 0.916 (-0.822 - 2.72) Medium Canada 1970 - 2015 1.68 (0.341 - 2.93) High

Characteristics and Range Manitoba's smallest grebe, the only local grebe with a thick bill ringed with black, is a familiar sight on the sloughs of the Prairie Potholes and easily detected by its far-carrying call. The Pied-billed Grebe breeds across southern Canada, mostly east of the Rocky Mountains, across the conterminous U.S.A. from coast to coast, and through much of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Through natural vagrancy, it has established a breeding population on the Hawaiian Islands since 1985 (Muller and Storer 1999). Northern populations, including birds from Manitoba, are migratory, wintering across the southern U.S.A. but farther north along either coast. Birds banded in Manitoba have been recovered in Kentucky and Ohio, fitting a general southeastward migration pattern in our region (Dunn et al. 2009).

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat The breeding distribution of the Pied-billed Grebe has generally been considered to lie south of the northern basins of Lakes Winnipeg and Winnipegosis. More northerly records are scarce, though irregular breeding occurs at Churchill, as described in The Birds of Manitoba. Atlassers found this species in 18 squares north of 54°N, suggesting a thin distribution as far north as Churchill. Nonetheless, the northernmost confirmed breeding during the atlas period was near The Pas and it remains unclear if these northern records pertain to non-breeding individuals or whether multiple records in small clusters signify localized breeding.

Relative abundance and probability of observation both peak in southwestern Manitoba, especially south of Riding Mountain National Park and west of the Pembina River valley, followed by the northern portion of the Prairie Potholes west of Lake Manitoba. Abundance generally decreases eastward and northward in the province with few records in the Boreal Softwood Shield or the Taiga Shield & Hudson Plains. The Pied-billed Grebe breeds in a variety of wetland types, including large prairie marshes, small sloughs and ponds with vegetated islands, in sewage lagoons and gravel pits, and in beaver ponds within the boreal forest (The Birds of Manitoba). Nesting water bodies, sometimes as small as 0.2 ha, typically have a combination of open water and substantial emergent vegetation (Muller and Storer 1999). At least in the Prairie Potholes, the Pied-billed Grebe shows considerable overlap in habitat selection with the American Coot (Muller and Storer 1999).

Trends, Conservation, and Recommendations Despite declines associated with wetland loss over the course of the 20^th century, and low numbers during the prolonged dry period of the 1980s as described in The Birds of Manitoba, the Pied-billed Grebe is relatively common. BBS data show no significant long-term trend in Canada or in Manitoba. The atlas years were especially wet overall, with extreme flooding in 2011 and moderate flooding in 2014, filling many ephemeral wetlands and deepening permanent potholes. This doubtless contributed to the high abundance of this species recorded in the core breeding areas and widespread occurrence in areas like extreme southwestern Manitoba that would not contain suitable habitat in drier periods.

Lorelie Mitchell

Recommended citation: Mitchell, L. 2018. Pied-billed Grebe in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=PBGR&lang=en [11 Oct 2024]