Western grebe

Western grebe
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae
Genus: Aechmophorus
Species:
A. occidentalis
Binomial name
Aechmophorus occidentalis
(Lawrence, 1858)
Approximate distribution map
  Breeding
  Migration
  Year-round
  Nonbreeding
Synonyms
  • Aechmophorus lucasi
    Miller, 1911
  • Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi
    Miller, 1911
  • Aechmophorus occidentalis occidentalis
    (Lawrence, 1858)

The western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe".

Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America were described as a distinct species, but later ranked as a paleosubspecies Aechmophorus occidentalis lucasi. More recent study found them to fall within the variation now known to exist in today's birds.