Pied-billed Grebe (adult, non-breeding)
Podilymbus podiceps

f9 @ 1/2000s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X teleconverter

\"Pied-billed Grebe,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The pied-billed grebe is a species of the grebe family of water birds. Since the Atitlán grebe (Podilymbus gigas) has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus Podilymbus. The pied-billed grebe is primarily found in ponds throughout the Americas.Pied-billed grebes are small, stocky, and short-necked. They are 31–38 cm (12–15 in) in length, with a wingspan of 45–62 cm (18–24 in) and weigh 253–568 g (8.9–20.0 oz). They are mainly brown, with a darker crown and back. Their brown color serves as camouflage in the marshes they live in. They do not have white under their wings when flying, like other grebes. Their undertail is white and they have a short, blunt chicken-like bill that is a light grey color, which in summer is encircled by a broad black band (hence the name). In the summer, its throat is black. There is no sexual dimorphism.

Merritt Island, NWR, Titusville, Florida

01/15/2016