Yearn to Wander
Red-Necked Grebe Nesting Ritual
Watching the nesting ritual of a pair of Red-necked Grebes on Gaetz Lake in the Kerry Wood Nature Center in Red Deer, Alberta was fascinating -- to see and hear -- so I summarized the activities with some pictures below. Enjoy!
The Red-necked Grebe is a relatively common bird in the Temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. They form monogamous relationships in the Spring during migration or at the breeding site, which is usually fresh inland water in small, shallow lakes. Their courtship is loud, raucous and distinctive. Their many vocal announcements can be heard several hundred feet away. Gifts of weeds are frequently offered to the female to help build their nest. The pair meets at the nest several times a day for courtship and mating, which last five or ten minutes, or longer if predators are sensed. After their activities at the nest, they swim away together, only to return again and again.
The Red-necked Grebe is a relatively common bird in the Temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. They form monogamous relationships in the Spring during migration or at the breeding site, which is usually fresh inland water in small, shallow lakes. Their courtship is loud, raucous and distinctive. Their many vocal announcements can be heard several hundred feet away. Gifts of weeds are frequently offered to the female to help build their nest. The pair meets at the nest several times a day for courtship and mating, which last five or ten minutes, or longer if predators are sensed. After their activities at the nest, they swim away together, only to return again and again.
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2011-06-10
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