Western grebe
| Western grebe | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Podicipediformes |
| Family: | Podicipedidae |
| Genus: | Aechmophorus |
| Species: | A. occidentalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aechmophorus occidentalis (Lawrence, 1858)
| |
| Approximate distribution map
Breeding
Migration
Year-round
Nonbreeding
| |
| Synonyms | |
The western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe".
Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America were described as a distinct species, but later ranked as a paleosubspecies Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi. Later studies found them to fall within the variation now known to exist in today's birds.