41 Western Grebe 2009-07-17T08:57:47-04:00 16 Aechmophorus occidentalis The Western Grebe is the largest North American grebe. It is easily confused with Clark’s Grebe, which was until recently considered a subspecies of the Western Grebe; it is now classified as a separate species, though hybrids can be found in places where the two species’ ranges overlap. The Western Grebe eats primarily fish, which it catches by use of a specialized neck structure that allows the grebe to thrust its beak forward to spear fish. Like all grebes, it is a foot-propelled diving bird; while its backset legs make it an efficient swimmer, the Western Grebe is awkward on land, and can run only with great difficulty. During courtship displays, a pair of grebes will rear up onto their feet and patter together across the water. 160 2010-01-20T22:31:21-05:00