![\"clark's](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/clarks-grebe-2336-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThough they can be difficult to see\u00a0both Clark’s and Western Grebes do have crests.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Their crests are usually not apparent unless they’re raised and even then can be difficult to notice. Both species (Clark’s and Western Grebes are very closely related and were once thought to be the same species) tend to raise their crests during threat displays and courtship ceremonies. This Clark’s Grebe raised its crest in reaction to another bird that came in too close to its mate. The erect feathers along the back are not part of the display – those feathers were blown erect by the wind (the effect makes me smile…).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When raised during display\u00a0the crests are\u00a0triangular in shape, black and spread laterally over\u00a0the edges of the top of the head.\u00a0The short feathers at the top of the head are erected and to my eye resemble a\u00a0flattop haircut that is too big for the owners head – kind of like a Gus Grissom, Roger Maris or H.R. Haldeman haircut on steroids (younger folks may have to look up some of\u00a0those names or remain clueless…).\u00a0 Haldeman was actually\u00a0known as “The Brush” (and other less flattering names)\u00a0during his days in the White House.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Both sexes have and use their crests.\u00a0This is a pair of displaying Western Grebes (notice that unlike Clark’s\u00a0Grebes the black comes down past the eye in\u00a0Western Grebes) in courtship and both of them have erected their crests. The larger male is on the right.<\/p>\n Both species\u00a0can be extremely vocal while displaying and just looking at these photos makes me hear their calls<\/a> in my head. I look forward to spending more time with them this spring and summer.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Crest triangular, black, raised and spread laterally in display.<\/p>\n Threats, in increasing degrees of intensity: bird may face another, crest spread forward, head held low and give Threat call<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Though they can be difficult to see both Clark’s and Western Grebes do have crests.<\/p>\n![\"clark's](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/clarks-grebe-2336b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"western](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/western-grebe-6949-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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