Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus

Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus bangsi. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, October 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus dominicus. Photograph taken within the greater Puerta Vallarta area, Guerrero, March 2014. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Background and Identification

Habitat and Geographical Range

Common Misidentifications

Conservation Status

The Least Grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus, is a member of the Podicipedidae Family of Grebes. They are small in stature. In Mexico they are found in the coastal regions within the Atlantic Slope from Tampico, Tamaulipas to Belize and within the Pacific Slope from Mazatlán, Sinaloa to Guatemala at elevations below 1,500 m (4,900 feet). They are also found in the Central Plateau at elevations up to 2,500 m (8,200 feet). From a conservation perspective the Least Grebe is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are found in temporary and permanent bodies of fresh and brackish water including ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers. They consume aquatic insects, arthropods, small fish, tadpoles and terrestrial insects.