Red-necked Grebes

We rarely receive Red-necked Grebes as they are only in western Washington in the winter and are largely solitary during that time. During migration, however, they are at higher risk for injuries caused by human disturbance. This patient was a victim of a road strike. Since this species migrates over land at night, they sometimes mistake wet pavement for a body of water. That is likely what happened to this bird. A little time in a safe, clean pool allowed the grebe to clean off any soiled feather and recover from the collision. Now the bird is back in the Salish Sea!

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