Habitat
Breeds in shallow small to medium ponds or marshes with emergent vegetation, especially sedges, cattails, and rushes and open water (Faaborg 1976, Riske 1976, Sugden 1977, Fergeson and Sealy 1983, Fournier and Hines 1999). Sixty nine percent of breeding ponds in a Canadian study were less than 1 ha in size with extensive use of ponds between 0.3 and 2.0 ha. The same study found high use of artificial ponds for nesting. Existence of sufficient residual vegetation an important factor in habitat selection. High use of areas with cattail and willow residual cover observed in Canada (Fournier and Hines 1999).
References
Faaborg, J. 1976. Habitat selection and territorial behavior of the small grebes of North Dakota. Wilson Bulletin 88:390-399.
Fergeson, R.S. and G. S. Sealy. 1983. Breeding ecology of the Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus, in southwestern Manitoba. Canadian Field Naturalist 97:401-408.
Fournier, M. A. and J. E. Hines. 1999. Breeding ecology of the Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) in subarctic wetlands. Occasional papers no. 99.
Riske, M. E. 1976. Environmental and human impacts upon grebes breeding in central Alberta. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Calgary, Calgary, ALB.
Sugden, L. G. 1977. Horned Grebe breeding habitat in Saskatchewan parklands. Canadian Field Naturalist 91:372-376.
