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Articles

Vol. 38 No. 4 (2007)

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON LEUCISTIC EARED GREBES AT MONO LAKE

Submitted
December 3, 2025
Published
October 1, 2007

Abstract

Blumin’s (2007) photograph essay on a leucistic grebe correctly identified it as an Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), which, incidentally, is an adult (red eye) and probably a male, judging by the apparent length of the bill (Jehl et al. 1998). Yet, 15 of 21 experts, perhaps relying on excessive caution regarding overlap in bill shape (Kaufman 1992), considered it to be a Horned Grebe (P. auritus). Actually, the bill shapes of the two species are quite different. In the Horned Grebe the culmen is strongly decurved for perhaps 25% or more of its length, whereas in the Eared it is essentially straight, slightly recurved, or occasionally very slightly downturned at the very tip. One of Blumin’s photos (figure 5) appears to show an Eared Grebe with a slightly decurved bill; the degree of curvature, if any, is not clear because the head is not shown in full profile.

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