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Clark's grebe        Images © Mark A. Chappell

Clark's grebes closely resemble western grebes, and until fairly recently the two were considered to be a single species (western grebe).   Both have long, thin black-and-white necks, staring red eyes, and low-slung bodies.   Clark's have more yellow-orange bills than western grebes, have an 'angle' in the lower mandible that makes the bill look slightly upturned, and show some white above the eye (especially in breeding season).  Those characters are visible in these images, which were taken at Bolsa Chica wetlands in coastal Orange County, at at Lake Perris (a breeding site), both in southern California.

  • Canon 1D Mk. II or 1D4; 500 mm IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X converter, or 800 mm IS lens plus 1.4X converter and fill-in flash (2006, 2012)