The subtropical habitats of south Texas make this little corner of the country the only place where you can see a bunch of neotropical bird species without leaving the USA. One of those birds is the Least Grebe. Found in many parts of Mexico and Central and South America, the Least Grebe also feels right at home in the oxbow lakes and wetlands of southernmost Texas.
A Least Grebe at Sabal Palm Grove.
The Sabal Palm Sanctuary hosts wetlands frequented by the Least Grebe and other south Texas specialties. On a recent trip there, I had the good fortune to watch a pair of these small aquatic birds, including a female on her nest.
Here is the female Least Grebe brooding her eggs.
When mama Least Grebe got up to clear some debris from the nest, three little eggs were revealed!
Three little eggs.
Here she is getting ready to settle back down on the eggs.
The male came by to show his concern for his mate and eggs.
The male can be seen in the background as he checks on his mate and the nest.
After seeing that everything was fine with her eggs, the female grebe covered them back up with debris.
The female puts leaves and other debris back on the nest.
The female grebe sitting back down on the nest.
As with other grebe species, the Least Grebe spends its entire life on and in the water. They can only take off on water after a running start and can’t even take off from land. Soon, Sabal Palm Sanctuary will play host to the three fuzzy little grebelings that hatch from this trio of eggs.