Great grebe; Chilean name Huala
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
The great grebe is a large freshwater grebe from southern South America. It will remind birders from North America of a combination of western/Clark's grebes (large size) and red-necked grebes (coloration); in addition, they have a moderate 'Mowhawk' crest -- not visible in these pictures -- that can be erected when the bird is annoyed or excited. We found great grebes to be common, but widely dispersed, on lakes in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in south Chile. They tended to be a bit wary. The strikingly aqua water color on some of these images comes from the glacial meltwater that forms Lago Pehoe, where the images were taken.
