Horned Grebe
Horned Grebes visit us during the winter, migrating from western Canada each year. They arrive in non-breeding plumage; a rather subdued coloring, but that red eye is quite beautiful!
Horned Grebe, January
Horned Grebes begin transitioning into their breeding plumage in March.
Horned Grebe, March 2025
By April, they are almost fully transitioned.
Horned Grebe, April
When the migration pull tells them to head home, they’re looking quite colorful on arrival!
Bay Photos by Donna 
That is quite a wonderful change.
It is, thank you Pepper!
The colours of the last photograph make the bird seem so vulnerable but beautiful.
They are excellent divers so down they’ll go if someone in the air is bothering them!
Always such amazing photos Donna
Awwww, thank you Sheree! I love my birds!
It shows
🥰
The colour transition is visible in the pics!
It is amazing that suddenly colors start emerging when birds start their breeding plumage coloring 😊
From monochrome to dazzling – I love the April coloring!
Love the monochrome to dazzling comment, thank you, Barbara!
What a fine winter visitor! Great photos, Donna 😊
They are cute! Thank you, Belinda! 😊
A dramatic transition!
Gotta impress the ladies! 😉
A lovely set of pictures. Thank you.
I am happy you enjoyed them!
Where is the horn Donna ? It is a lovely Grebe another new Grebe for me.
Thank you, Ashley! When in complete full-breeding plumage, the golden patch of feathers on the sides of the head flair as they get longer and brighter, looking like horns, especially from a direct front view.
I was wondering why the “horned” in their name … until I saw the past photo. Nice sequence!
Thank you, David!
That eye and slash of red in the March 2025 photo really shows that transition, from blah to colorful.
They are darn cute too! 😉
That red eye is crazy pretty. But almost looks like it’s bleeding. Very informative info about birds I’ve never seen. Thanks!
Thank you, Sue! I agree, the red slash caught me off-guard the first time I saw it!
I always love that transition: from winter plumage back to spring finery. Wonderful illustration of the changes.
Thank you, IJ, me too! Little works of artistic colors!