Catch of the Day: Interspecies Dating!

Arcata Wildlife Sanctuary
Arcata, California
December 3, 2025

It was high tide—a fall King tide just before the full moon—when the water rises to almost reach the top of the rock barrier. As I walked the narrow strip of land separating the brackish water of Klopp Lake from the salty Arcata Bay, I spotted two Western Grebes about fifty yards offshore. This was my first time sighting these large, elegant birds in Humboldt County, though I had seen them often along Monterey Bay.

One of the grebes was calling urgently, her long neck stretched low and her head nearly touching the water. Every chirping, pleading sound was aimed directly at the other bird.

At first, I had no idea what was unfolding. Only later, after reviewing my photographs and doing a bit of research, did the story become clear.

Western Grebes are famous for their elaborate—and often downright theatrical—courtship rituals. In this case, the female was begging the male to bring her a fish. And he did, without hesitation, offering it delicately to her, beak to beak. Biologists believe this food-offering is a test: she wants to know if he’ll be a reliable partner when there are hungry chicks to feed.

But the real surprise came when I zoomed in on my images: the pair were actually two distinct species! The female was a Western Grebe, but the male was a Clark’s Grebe. The two species look remarkably similar and are known to interbreed, but catching them actually “dating” across species lines is not something you see every day.

The easiest way to distinguish the two species is by their facial markings. On a Western Grebe, the black cap dips below the eye; on a Clark’s, it stops above the eye, leaving the face brighter. Their bills differ too: Westerns have a dull olive-yellow beak, while Clark’s display a vivid yellow-orange.

Birds are fascinating not only for their beauty and wildness but for the remarkable, sometimes surprising behaviors they reveal.

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