Montana Field Guide

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Montana Field Guides

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- Kingdom - Animals - Animalia
  - Phylum - Vertebrates - Craniata
    - Class - Birds - Aves
      - Order - Grebes - Podicipediformes
        
        Family - Grebes - Podicipedidae
        
        Species - Clark's Grebe - Aechmophorus clarkii

Clark's Grebe - Aechmophorus clarkii

Species of Concern
Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S3B
(see State Rank Reason below)

Agency Status
USFWS: MBTA; BCC10; BCC11
USFS:
BLM:
FWP SWAP: SGCN
PIF: 3

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State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)

Species is a rare breeding resident found within northern Montana. Populations are believed to be stable and it faces low threats, but it only known from 3 populations in the state.

Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) Conservation Status Summary
State Rank: S3B
Review Date = 12/02/2024
See the complete Conservation Status Rank Report

How we calculate Conservation Status Ranks

General Description

Sexes similar in size and plumage. Clark's Grebe possesses a black crown, yellow bill, a narrow body with a long and thin white neck; back of neck gray. Top of body is mostly gray with speckled white spots. Coverts white with speckled gray.

For a comprehensive review of the conservation status, habitat use, and ecology of this and other Montana bird species, please see Marks et al. 2016, Birds of Montana.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Clarks Grebe best distinguished from the Western Grebe by having white up the side of the head to include the eye (the black crown of Western Grebe extends down the side of the head to include the eye) and a yellow bill (not yellowish-green).

Species Range

Montana Range Range Descriptions

All Ranges

Summer

Migratory

(Click legend blocks to view individual ranges)

Western Hemisphere Range

Range Comments

Breeding range extends through southern Canada, the Dakotas, Montana, and Idaho into eastern Oregon, and south into Nevada andf California. During winter Clark's Grebe is found along the Pacific coast to central Mexico, and inland where there is open water.

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database

Number of Observations: 892

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions

Relative Density

Recency

SUMMER (Feb 16 - Dec 14)

Direct Evidence of Breeding

Indirect Evidence of Breeding

No Evidence of Breeding

WINTER (Dec 15 - Feb 15)

Regularly Observed

Not Regularly Observed

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)

Migration

Migratory. Spring migration appears to occur from late April to early May (earliest record 21 April), autumn migration during September and October (latest record 10 November) (Montana Bird Distribution Committee 2012). Information limited because of confusion of this species with Western Grebe.

Habitat

Clark's Grebes are reported breeding only at very large lakes and reservoirs in Montana.

National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species

Wetland and Riparian

Alkaline - Saline Wetlands

Great Plains Saline Marsh and Wet Meadow

Peatland

Great Plains Alkaline Fen

Wet Meadow and Marsh

Arid West Freshwater Marsh and Wet Meadow

Great Plains Freshwater Marsh

Great Plains Wet Meadow, Marsh and Shrub Swamp

Great Plains Wet Meadow, Riparian Shrubland and Fen

Food Habits

Diet consists of mainly fish but also aquatic invertebrates along with a few amphibians (Storer and Nuechterlein 1992).

Ecology

BBS is not suitable for monitoring this species in Montana. During surveys of 133 wetland sites in 2009 and 2010 (Wightman and Tilly 2010), Clark's Grebe was reported breeding at two sites on large lakes and marshes; Freezeout Lake WMA, Ninepipes NWR. Montana colonies appear to be relatively small, usually with fewer than 10 breeding pairs; two pair were reported in 2010 at Ninbepipies NWR, three pair at Freezeout Lake WMA (Wightman and Tilly 2010).

Reproductive Characteristics

Single brooded species with three to four eggs per brood. Incubation period 23 days. Young able to fly 63 to 77 days after hatch (Storer and Nuechterlein 1992). In Montana, nests reported 16 May to 3 July, chicks 11 to 26 July (Montana Bird Distribution Committee 2012). Hybridization may occur, as there is one report of an adult Clark's Grebe tending young with a Western Grebe.

Management

Clark's Grebe is poorly monitored in Montana and little is know about population status and abundance. Annual surveys would be useful to track distributions and numbers (Casey 2000). Need to differentiate this species from the Western Grebe. Management schemes should allow for manipulation of emergent growth patterns. Ideal nesting areas provide thick, but water-interspersed, clumps of emergents that block wave action (Storer and Nuechterlein 1992).

Stewardship Responsibility

Threats or Limiting Factors

Degradation of wetlands, chemical contaminants, winter kill of fish and oil spills along coastal wintering areas.

References

Literature Cited AboveLegend: View Online Publication
- Casey, D. 2000. Partners in Flight Draft Bird Conservation Plan Montana. Version 1.0. 287 pp.
- Marks, J.S., P. Hendricks, and D. Casey. 2016. Birds of Montana. Arrington, VA. Buteo Books. 659 pages.
- Montana Bird Distribution Committee. 2012. P.D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution. 7th Edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, Montana. 208 pp. + foldout map.
- Wightman, C., and F. Tilly. 2010. Montana’s colonial-nesting waterbird inventory: 2010 annual report. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena.
Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?
- American Ornithologists’ Union [AOU]. 1998. Check-list of North American birds, 7th edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. 829 p.
- Casey, D. 2004. Coordinated bird monitoring in Montana - special habitat/species monitoring: wetlands and colonial nesters. Montana Bird Conservation Partnership and University of Montana. pp 12 plus appendix.
- Ehrlich, P., D. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birder’s handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster Inc. New York. 785 pp.
- Hays, R., R.L. Eng, and C.V. Davis (preparers). 1984. A list of Montana birds. Helena, MT: MT Dept. of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
- Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
- Lenard, S., J. Carlson, J. Ellis, C. Jones, and C. Tilly. 2003. P. D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution, 6th edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, MT. 144 pp.
- Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Region Four., 1996, Draft Environmental Analysis for Weed Management.
- Sibley, D. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. 598 pp.
- Skaar, P.D. 1969. Birds of the Bozeman latilong: a compilation of data concerning the birds which occur between 45 and 46 N. latitude and 111 and 112 W. longitude, with current lists for Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, impinging Montana counties and Yellowstone National Park. Bozeman, MT. 132 p.
- Storer, R. W., and G. L. Nuechterlein. 1992. Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). Species Account Number 026b. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved 3/25/2008 from The Birds of North America Online database
- Storer, R.W. and G.L. Nuechterlein. 1992. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clarke's Grebe (A. clarkii). In: A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, (eds.), The Birds of North America, No. 26. Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington D.C.: The American Ornithologists Union 24 pp.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Birds of Conservation Concern 2021. United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds, Falls Church, Virginia.
- Wassink, J. 1991. Birds of the Central Rockies. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, MT.
- Wright, P.L. 1996. Status of rare birds in Montana, with comments on known hybrids. Northwestern Naturalist 77(3):57-85.
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Citation for data on this website:
Clark's Grebe — Aechmophorus clarkii. Montana Field Guide. Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved on December 15, 2025, from https://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABNCA04020