THE MONTEREY COUNTY LIST
Annotated checklist and data resource
text © Don Roberson
photos copyrighted by photographer(s) credited
all photos taken in Monterey County, California
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
Horned Grebe is a regular winter visitor in Monterey County (MTY). It is almost always found on salt water bays and harbors, particularly around the edges of Monterey Bay. Birds in basic plumage (right) in winter are small, short-billed, but stocky gray-and-white grebes with very crisply demarcated white face.

Photo 15 Nov 2004 Monterey harbor © D. Roberson
Horned Grebes are present from November through March. In some winters a few appear by mid-October but in other winters none seem to be around until mid-November. In most years a few will linger in April and occasionally into May. Summer records are very few. Recent averages* for the Monterey Peninsula Christmas Bird Count are 90 Horned Grebes each winter, and 33 on the Moss Landing count (but some of those are in adjacent Santa Cruz County).
During their winter stay in Monterey, some Horned Grebes molt from their basic plumage (left) through a transitional plumage (lower left) to full alternate (=breeding) plumage (below). The prealternate molt begins in March. Note that the blocky head shape and rather thick neck remain useful characters in all these plumages, and that the small but distinct white tip to the bill is present in any plumage. Beware of 'white-cheeked' Eared Grebes in Sep-Oct than can be confused with Horned Grebes; please see a more detailed page on this identification problem. 

Photos 18 Jan 1990 Monterey © R.F. Tintle (left), 8 Apr 1982 Monterey © D. Roberson (below left), 2 Apr 1983 Monterey © R.F. Tintle (below).
Where to find a Horned Grebe in MTY: This small grebe is very much a winter bird of inshore salt water. In fact, there are only two acceptable records on fresh water anywhere in the county. Favored locales are:
  • Moss Landing harbor, especially in the channel or just offshore of the jetties
  • Monterey harbor, sometimes in the harbor but more often just offshore the Coast Guard pier or off the tip of the Commercial Wharf (Wharf #2, the one you can drive on and park in the metered slots). 
  • Just offshore the sandy beaches from Ft. Ord to Seaside; scope from near Monterey Beach Hotel or streets that dead-end at the ocean
  • Elsewhere just offshore, such as Lovers Pt. or Otter Pt. in Pacific Grove, or Spanish Bay or Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach
At most of these sites, a scope is needed because this grebe usually stays several hundreds yards offshore. However, they become accustomed to boats and people in Monterey harbor and can often be seen right next to Wharf #2.

* = "recent averages" for Christmas Bird Counts are found by compiling the totals reported for last dozen counts, throwing out the high and low counts that may be biased by observer error or bad weather, and averaging the remaining ten counts.

Go back to
MONTEREY GREBES
Portal
GO TO NEXT
GREBE IN SEQUENCE
Red-necked Grebe

Use the following links to other portions of the MTY checklist:

Part 1: Waterfowl through Grebes
Part 2: Albatrosses through Frigatebirds
Part 3: Herons through Cranes
Part 4: Plovers through Sandpipers
Part 5: Jaegers through Alcids
Part 6: Doves through Woodpeckers
Part 7: Flycatchers through Larks
Part 8: Swallows through Pipits
Part 9: Waxwings through Warblers
Part 10: Tanagers through Sparrows
Part 11: Grosbeaks through Finches
or just the plain Checklist (no annotations)
Readers may use this material for their own private enjoyment, study, or research but none of the photos or text herein may be used commercially nor may they be reposted on other web sites without written permission. All material is copyrighted. The posting of photos and text on this private web site is not a submission to review organizations.

TOP

TO HOME PAGE

TO MONTEREY COUNTY LIST PORTAL PAGE

TO MONTEREY COUNTY PAGE

TO BIRD FAMILIES OF THE WORLD

Page created 23 Nov 2004