Red-necked Grebe
Red-necked Grebe has surged: up 756% on the route-weighted index since 1971.
About the Red-necked Grebe
The Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 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 100 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 9 states, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Podicipedidae · Wetland birds
Notable Red-necked Grebe Trends
No notable trend signals for Red-necked Grebe. See the full index history below.
Red-necked Grebe Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Red-necked Grebe is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.03 (95% range 0.01–0.05). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±50.2%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2027 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| 2029 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
Where the Red-necked Grebe Is Detected
BBS routes recording Red-necked Grebe, sized by most recent count.
Red-necked Grebe Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -84% | 1982 | 51 |
| Idaho | -78% | 1979 | 3 |
| Minnesota | +352% | 1993 | 13 |
| Montana | -80% | 1971 | 8 |
| North Dakota | 26× | 1986 | 14 |
| Oregon | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Washington | -72% | 1985 | 7 |
| Wisconsin | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
Red-necked Grebe Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -97% | 1994 | 11 |
| BCR 4 | -74% | 1982 | 35 |
| Northern Rockies | -86% | 1971 | 17 |
| Prairie Potholes | 21× | 1986 | 18 |
Red-necked Grebe Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 756% 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.