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Pied-billed Grebes were observed across Saskatchewan in 620 atlas squares, except in the Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregion where they were absent. Scarce over much of the boreal forest, Pied-billed Grebes were more common in the southern fringes of the boreal forest through the Aspen Parkland and portions of the Moist Mixed Grassland. Distribution was likely impacted by drought conditions, especially in the arid southwest where there are fewer permanent wetlands on the landscape.

Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.

Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:

Shy and elusive, this well-named species with its "pied? or 2-toned bill is not readily seen during the nesting season. Its loud barking kow kow, however, frequently reveals its presence. The Pied-billed Grebe prefers to escape predators by diving or gradually submerging until only its head is above the surface (Muller and Storer 1999). The Pied-billed Grebe has the widest distribution in the Americas of any grebe, breeding from central Canada through Central America and the West Indies to southern South America; during the winter our birds withdraw south to coastal British Columbia and the southern US, south to Panama.

The ponds, marshes, dugouts, and stock dams of the southern boreal, parkland, and grassland regions are the breeding habitat of the Pied-billed Grebe in Saskatchewan (Smith 1996). Prior to fall migration it is seen on larger, more open water bodies.

Common in the South Boreal, Parkland and Grasslands and rare in the north (Smith 1996) the Pied-billed Grebe breeds throughout Saskatchewan north to William Point on Lake Athabasca (Nero 1963a), with more recent records of possible breeding at Cluff and Trade Lakes (Smith 1996).

Original text by Robert Warnock. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky

Read more about the Pied-billed Grebe in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.

LeeAnn M. Latremouille

Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Pied-billed Grebe in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=PBGR&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]