Horned Grebe
Horned Grebe has declined: down 40% on the route-weighted index since 1971.
About the Horned Grebe
The Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is a North American member of the Grebes (Podicipedidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 9–21.5 in long (23–55 cm) — a diving water bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 55 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 8 states, most concentrated in the Prairie Potholes.
- Family
- Podicipedidae · Wetland birds
Notable Horned Grebe Trends
No notable trend signals for Horned Grebe. See the full index history below.
Horned Grebe Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Horned Grebe is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±223%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Horned Grebe Is Detected
BBS routes recording Horned Grebe, sized by most recent count.
Horned Grebe Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -84% | 1987 | 24 |
| Minnesota | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| North Dakota | -32% | 1971 | 19 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Washington | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Wisconsin | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
Horned Grebe Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | -89% | 1987 | 17 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -37% | 1995 | 3 |
| Prairie Potholes | -48% | 1971 | 24 |
Horned Grebe Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 40% since 1971.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.