![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/western-grebe-1839-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"western-grebe-1839-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nSo the behavior must be instinctive.<\/p>\n
Western Grebes often raise a foot out of the water, shake off the water, and then store it under a wing and flank feathers in order to keep it warm and prevent heat loss from their huge foot that acts like a radiator. The behavior is sometimes called “foot shipping” (one definition of shipping is \u201cto put in place for use\u201d.)<\/p>\n
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That’s what’s happening here. The foot and leg are raised out of the water, shaken to get rid of excess water, and then one wing is raised before the foot is tucked under it and the wing folded against the body again – keeping that huge foot comfy, warm and dry under the wing.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has spent significant time with Western Grebes has likely seen them do it, even though all you may have noticed is the foot-shaking because the rest of the behavior happens pretty fast and is often missed. Five years ago I published a blog post documenting and explaining the behavior in greater detail. If you have the interest that post can be seen here<\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In today’s post I’ll document the same behavior in a very young Western Grebe chick, a chick so young it didn’t yet have all the ‘equipment’ necessary to accomplish the ultimate goal of the behavior – to store or “ship” the foot under its wing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1250, f\/9, ISO 400, Canon 40D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Way back in July of 2009 I photographed this Western Grebe chick performing the behavior long before I knew what it was, or what it was meant to accomplish. Here he’s shaking ‘his’ foot and raising his tiny wing before…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1600, f\/9, ISO 400, Canon 40D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n bringing his foot forward in a futile attempt to place it under his wing.<\/p>\n But at this age his wing was just a stubby (though cute) little appendage that was much too small to accommodate his foot so all he could do was lay his foot across his back and let it dry in the warming sun. For some reason I didn’t save any photos taken after this one so in this instance I can’t document him laying his foot across his back.<\/p>\n But I’ve seen it before in chicks this young so I’m confident that’s what happened.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/western-grebe-8511-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"western-grebe-8511-ron-dudley\\"")
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