a Pied-billed Grebe on its nest
There are plenty of stories about how birds and wildlife are negatively impacted by this and that so we’re happy to report a success story right here in Rutland County. This one involves a pair of Pied-billed Grebes, which hopefully will result in more grebes before too long.
According to the recently released Second Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Vermont, Pied-Billed Grebes are the only grebe species to nest in the state. They are kind of picky, preferring a shallow water marshy area. They also need deeper water so they can dive for their prey.
The Pied-billed Grebe is a Species of Special Concern so preserving and managing areas for them is important.
Thanks to the local work by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its Wetlands Reserve Program, more habitat is now available for grebes.
Click here to see how this was accomplished locally.