Clark's Grebe

Mating Rush

Both Clark’s Grebes and Western Grebes have a very involved mating ritual. One aspect of that ritual is the dance, or “rush” that they undertake. As the mating season winds down, unpaired males and females become somewhat desperate so you get mating between species. This is a rush between a Clark’s and a Western. They do interbreed and you end up with some odd looking mixed birds. This takes place in many different places but north San Diego County is a hotspot for this activity between December and March.
This rush or dance is not a race. They attempt to mirror each other. If you look carefully at wing and foot position they are virtually identical.
These Grebes are the largest animal that can truly walk on water.
This picture was taken at long range so is not a great picture, but the behavior is spectacular.