CreatureData

Western grebe

Aechmophorus occidentalis (Lawrence, 1858)

LCLeast Concernbirds

The western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) is a species in the family Podicipedidae, order Podicipediformes. Recorded adults weigh 1.07 kg to 1.31 kg and live up to 14 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Photo: dominic sherony · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the western grebe

Weight
1.07 kg – 1.31 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
14 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
wetlandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
23 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
3src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
12 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1.25src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Aquaticsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Migratorysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the western grebe live?

Not recorded

What is the western grebe?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

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.

From the Wikipedia article “Western grebe” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_grebe&oldid=1380711665), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the western grebe endangered?

The western grebe is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the western grebe classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPodicipediformes
  5. familyPodicipedidae
  6. genusAechmophorus
  7. SpeciesAechmophorus occidentalis (Lawrence, 1858)

Synonyms Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi

Other names and names in other languages (39)
  • غطاس غربيArabic
  • Западен гмурецBulgarian
  • Plomer ar c'hornôgBreton
  • cabussó nord-americà comúCatalan
  • potápka západníCzech
  • gwyach y GorllewinWelsh
  • Vestlig LappedykkerDanish
  • RenntaucherGerman
  • okcidenta greboEsperanto
  • Achichilique comúnSpanish
  • Achichilique pico amarilloSpanish
  • suurpüttEstonian
  • کشیم غربیPersian
  • pitkäkaulauikkuFinnish
  • Grèbe élégantFrench
  • טבלן מערביHebrew
  • dugovrati gnjuracCroatian
  • nyugati vöcsökHungarian
  • svasso cignoItalian
  • Svasso occidentaleItalian
  • クビナガカイツブリJapanese
  • vakarinis Šiaurės Amerikos kragasLithuanian
  • slaidais dūkurisLatvian
  • Naalʼeełii keelóóltsoh biniiʼ łizhinígííNavajo
  • zwanenhalsfuutDutch
  • svanedykkerNorwegian
  • perkoz wielkiPolish
  • لیندی ڈبکنیWestern Panjabi
  • mergulhão-de-cara-pretaPortuguese
  • mergulhão-americano-ocidentalPortuguese
  • Западная поганкаRussian
  • Западноамериканская поганкаRussian
  • potápka ostrozobáSlovak
  • Zapadni američki gnjuracSerbian
  • mörk svandoppingSwedish
  • İnce Gagalı BatağanTurkish
  • пірникоза західнаUkrainian
  • 西鸊鷈Chinese
  • 北美䴙䴘Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the western grebe

Other species in the same genus Aechmophorus.

CompareWestern grebe vs Clark's grebe

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the western grebe?

An adult western grebe weighs 1.07 kg – 1.31 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the western grebe endangered?

The western grebe is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the western grebe live?

The western grebe has a recorded lifespan of 14 years.

What kind of animal is the western grebe?

The western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) belongs to the family Podicipedidae in the order Podicipediformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-grebe

MLA

“Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-grebe.

BibTeX
@misc{western_grebe_2026,
  title = {Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-grebe},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}