I observed this Pied-billed Grebe on a small lake in Carrollton’s McInnish Park. The grebe dove and submerged as I approached, giving me the impression that I had startled him. As it turned out, the grebe resurfaced just a few yards(meters) away with a mouthful of crayfish.

The crayfish’s claws were clearly a challenge for the bird. The Pied-billed Grebe shook the crustacean vigorously several times. At one point, the bird engaged its webbed toes to aid in dispatching the hapless crawdad.

Once subdued and probably claw-less, the crawdad was swallowed whole without ceremony.

CountyDallas
CityCarrollton
DateFeb 27, 2012
Time of DayMorning
TemperatureCool (50-69°F/10-21°C)
WeatherOvercast
HabitatWater-Lake
Type of BehaviorFeeding
GenderUncertain
MaturityAdult
ObserverChris Jackson

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.