What a beauty. The face striping marks this specimen as a juvenile. The Bend on the upper Chignik (just below the lake) proved to be a consistently reliable place to get close enough to waterfowl to score good photographs. (October 23, 2017)

Red-necked Grebes are another among the Chignik’s several fish-hunting birds. We didn’t see them often, but when they were on the lake or river we always grabbed our binoculars for a closer look. It’s a good bet that they breed on Black Lake or nearby tundra ponds.

Buffleheads, goldeneyes, mergansers… and center stage an adult Red-necked Grebe in nonbreeding plumage. (Chignik Lake, January 24, 2017)

These were two of three juveniles that visited the lake in the fall of 2017. (Chignik Lake, October 20, 2017)

Example of a Red-necked Grebe in breeding plumage. (Potter’s Marsh, Anchorage, Alaska. June 24, 2017)

Red-necked Grebe Range Map: with permission from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds of the World

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
Order: Podicipediformes
Podiceps: from the Greek podicis = rump – refers to the posterior positioning of the grebe’s feet
grisegena: from the Latin griseus = gray & gena = cheek 

Status at Chignik Lake 2016-19: Occasional in Fall & Winter

David Narver, Birds of the Chignik River Drainage, summers 1960-63: Common on Black Lake; Rare on Chignik Lake

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuge Bird List, 2010:
Uncommon in Spring, Summer & Fall; Rare in Winter

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve Bird List: Presence Documented

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Next Article: Pied-billed Grebe – An Alaska Peninsula First

*For a clickable list of bird species and additional information about this project, click here: Birds of Chignik Lake

© Photographs, images and text by Jack Donachy unless otherwise noted.