Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)

Number of accepted Western Grebe records for Louisiana = 21 as of 25th Report of the LBRC (2022)

 


Accepted Records

One (1971-02; formerly 85-37) on the Mississippi River at New Orleans, Orleans/Jefferson Parish, from 3-6 November 1971 (DP,MM*). This bird was photographed, and a photo published in American Birds (Purrington 1972:74). This was the first record of any kind of "Western Grebe" for Louisiana and was accepted by Lowery (1974). The American Ornithologists' Union "Checklist Committee" recently (AOU 1985: 680-681) recognized as a species the very similar Clark's Grebe (A. clarkii), formerly regarded as merely a color phase of the Western Grebe. This change in nomenclature requires that the Committee will review all previous Louisiana records of "Western" Grebe to ascertain to which species they in fact refer. The Committee has accepted the original 1971 record as a true Western Grebe.

Two birds (1981-09; formerly 82-39) on the Gulf 2-3 miles west of Holly Beach, Cameron Parish on 25 January 1981 (JK*), with one bird still present from 14-22 February 1981 (VR; MR,BC.PO,DH).

One (1985-01; formerly 86-2) on 21 Dec. 1985, (SACBC) Cameron: Hwy. 27 at Mud Lake, N Holly Beach; Fred Barry, JPS (c), A&GS, JW, GO, CK, RN. This was apparently one of two different birds thought to be present, as reported in Newman (1986, p. 874, 1052). Muth (1986, p. 290) also reported two birds present until 11 Jan. 1986. Documentation for the other individual has never been submitted.

One (1986-05; formerly 87-3) on 20 Dec. 1986 SACBC, Cameron: Mud L.; John P. Sevenair, A&GS (Cardiff and Dittmann 1987, p. 561, 1033).

Two (1991-10) on 9 Feb. 1991, Cameron: Johnsons Bayou, Gulf of Mexico near Martin Beach Road; Curtis A. Marantz (ph), Donna L. Dittmann (drawing), and Steven W. Cardiff (AB 45(2):283).

One (1991-11; formerly 92-08) on 15 Dec. 1991, Cameron: Johnsons Bayou, Gulf of Mexico near Martin Beach Road; Cecil C. Kersting and Curtis C. Sorrells (AB 46(2):275; LOS 147).

One adult (1993-063) on 19 December 1993, Cameron: gulf off Johnsons Bayou Beach; Phillip A. Wallace.

One (1994-13) on 17 Dec 1994, Cameron: Gulf of Mexico, about 2 mi. SW of mouth Calcasieu Pass; Donna L. Dittmann and Steven W. Cardiff; NASFN 49(2): 156, LOS News 164: 4.

One (1997-38) on 19 Oct 1997, Lafourche: Fourchon Road; R. D. Purrington and B. Mac Myers III (ph); FN 52(1): 72.

One (2001-52) from 11-12 Nov 2001, Caddo: Shreveport, Cross Lake near Squirrel Point; Jeff Trahan (ph) and Malcolm Mark Swan (card). Reportedly first discovered by Charles E. Lyon; NAB56(1):61.

One (2002-069) on 17 November 2002, St. Tammany: Mandeville, Lake Pontchartrain at Sunset Point; B. Mac Myers III.

One (2003-19) on 20 Dec 2003, Cameron: 2 mi. E of Holly Beach; Paul E. Conover (ph); NAB58(2):240.

Photo by Paul Conover

One (2006-36) from 3-11 Nov 2006, Rapides: Kincaid Lake; John Pitre (ph) and Jay V. Huner. The bird was found dead and presumed shot by a hunter on 11 Nov (ph James Beck; specimen could not be retrieved); NAB61(1):85.

Photo by John Pitre

One (2010-02) on 22 January 2010, Cameron: gulf 1.3 mi. E of Constance Beach, 29.76174oN, 93.55959oW; Melvin Weber (ph).

Photo by Melvin Weber

One adult (2010-17) on 12-14 April 2010, Claiborne: Lake Claiborne; Stephen Pagans (ph) John Dillon and Rosemary Seidler (card only).

Photo by Stephen Pagans

Two (2013-002) from 26-27 January 2013, Caddo: Shreveport, E end Cross Lake; Stephen Pagans and Charles Lyon (ph).

Photo by Charles Lyon

One (2014-097) on 14 November-7 December 2014, Union: D�Arbonne Lake at Pleasure Island Rd.; Stephen L. Pagans, (Pagans report 2), (Pagans report 3), (Pagans report 4), (Pagans report 5), (Pagans report 6), Willie Matthews (ph), and Mary Mehaffey. Although as many as two were reported at this location at D�Arbonne Lake, Members believed that the documentation supported only one individual at this site.

Photo by Willie Matthews

One (2015-075) on 30 December 2015-24 January 2016, Caddo: Cross Lake; Charles E. Lyon (ph), Rosemary Seidler (ph), Robert C. Dobbs, Jay V. Huner, and J. V. Remsen (ph only).

Photo by Charles Lyon

One (2020-024) on 6-12 March 2020, Pointe Coupee: False River at Cutt Pointe; Oscar Johnson (ph; p. 23; https:// ebird.org/checklist/S65567750). Reportedly found by J. V. Remsen (https://ebird.org/checklist/S65494501). Latest photos in eBird from12 March (https://ebird.org/checklist/S65711198).

One (2018-097) on 2 December 2018, Caddo: Cross Lake (eBird ph only). Photos: https://ebird.org/checklist/ S50380409.

One (2019-086) on 14 December 2019, Caddo: Cross Lake (eBird ph only). Photos: https://ebird.org/checklist/ S62311991

Unaccepted Records

Two (1974-020) on 5 November 1974, Caddo: Shreveport, Cross Lake. This report is based on memory long after the observation and, although this is a very distinctive species (or at least genus), there was resistance to accepting even as �Aechmophorus sp.� due to the brevity of the details. Lowery (1974) reports Western Grebe on Cross Lake during winter 1973-1974 (that record would be the second state record and has never been reviewed by the LBRC). There are no other reports or cards for winter 1974-1975 and, for that reason, some Members were concerned whether memory of year was accurate, especially considering the rarity of Western Grebe at that time and that, technically, this would represent only the third state occurrence. As with any other record the Committee would recirculate the record with additional reports.

Three (1995-150) on 23 Dec 1995, St. Bernard: 2 mi. NNE Arabi. The description did not eliminate Clark's Grebe. Additionally, some members expressed concern that the grebes may have not been Aechmophorus, but instead Podiceps, because only Horned Grebes were subsequently relocated at the site.

One (1997-012) on 25 January 1995, Union: D�Arbonne NWR. The description did not provide enough detail to accept to species. However, some Members maintained that details submitted were good enough to document the genus Aechmophorus. So, this record continued through a Third Circulation before a majority of members agreed that the description was just too vague to support the observation as even a generic Western/Clark�s Grebe.

One (2014-107) on 30 October 2014, Union: D�Arbonne Lake at boat launch road N of Hwy. 33; Stephen L. Pagans. This record was originally submitted as Clark�s Grebe, which would have been the first state occurrence. Photographs showed an obvious Aechmophorus and were suggestive of Clark�s but did not convincingly identify that species, and the written details and analysis did not convincingly eliminate Western Grebe. This record could possibly pertain to better documented 2014-097 present nearby during the same period (accepted above). One (2014-098) on 14 and 18 November 2014, Union: D�Arbonne Lake at the dam; Stephen L. Pagans. Following a Discussion Round, all Members believed that based on the distance and relatively superficial description, documentation only supported identification to genus.

One (2019-064) on 18 December 2019, Rapides: Cotile Lake at Cotile Lake Recreation Area Park. All Members agreed that the very brief and very distant look was not satisfactory for a positive identification as Western Grebe or Aechmophorus sp.