Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Kreece's Grebe
- Scientific name: Aechmophorus clarkii
- Classification: Waterfowl
- Family and genus: Grebes, order Grebes, family Grebes, genus *Gnaphalium*
Vital signs data
- Body length: 55-73 cm
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
It is distributed in North America (including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Bermuda, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the transitional zone between North and Central America in Mexico), and Central America (located between North and South America, including Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries and regions).
They inhabit the plant communities of freshwater lakes and marshes, spending almost their entire lives in the water.
Appearance
The beak is long and yellowish-green. It is straight, laterally compressed, and pointed; the nostrils are open and located near the base of the beak; the wings are short, with 12 primary flight feathers, the first vestigial, and the fifth secondary flight feather missing. The tail has only some short, soft down feathers, or almost none. The feet are located near the rump. The tarsi are laterally compressed, adapted for diving; all four toes have broad, webbed edges; the claws are blunt and broad, the inner edge of the middle toe is serrated, the hind toe is short and positioned higher than the other toes, or may be absent. The body plumage is short and dense, providing excellent moisture resistance; the feathers have secondary feathers, and the preen gland is feathered; the sexes are similar. The skull is either cleft palate or fully nasal; both lack basal wing processes; the digestive system lacks a cecum; the chicks are precocial.
Detailed introduction
The Clarki's Grebe, scientifically known as *Aechmophorus clarkii*, is a flocked bird. It is not a strong flier. It swims using its legs instead of its wings and rarely walks on land. It can dive to forage, typically diving to depths of only 1–4 meters. Its diet consists mainly of aquatic insects and larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and small plants.
When breeding, the Clarice's Grebe builds a floating nest in the grassy areas near water, using reeds, weeds, and some clay. Each nest contains 2-7 white eggs, often stained with dirt. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 25 days. The chicks are precocial, covered in dense downy feathers, and can move freely. For the first 2-3 weeks after hatching, the parents often carry the chicks on their backs; if startled and diving, they tuck them under their wings.
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