Wings on Wednesday: Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe at Nest, Minnesota (click image to view larger)

This Red-necked Grebe is just settling down on its floating nest on a small lake near Bemidji, Minnesota. A hot summer afternoon, the parent had been out on the lake foraging and just finished uncovering the eggs, which had been covered with moist grasses from the nest.

This species is found in Europe, eastern Siberia, and in North America, where they are one of three members of the genus Podiceps (the others are Horned and Eared Grebes). The genus name comes from the Latin words podicis, for "vent," and peds, "foot," and refers to the positioning of the legs at the rear of their body, clearly visible in the photo. While this positioning is great for swimming, it also makes walking difficult, so these birds are rarely seen out of the water, except when in flight or, as in this case, tending a nest.