First posted on the Tropical Audubon Society’s Bird Board last week, a pair of Least Grebes has recently been located at the Yamato Scrub Natural Area in Boca Raton, Florida. The pair had a nest with two eggs, and the first chick hatched on the morning of September 29, 2008. The second hatched the following morning on September 30th. This is the first documented nest of a Least Grebe in Florida. The Least Grebe is a resident of the Caribbean and is only occasionally sighted in Florida. The last confirmed sighting was in Key Deer National Wildlife refuge in 1988. So it is a thrill for many birders to be able to see this bird in South Florida, let alone to find it breeding here.

On October 2nd the grebes abandoned their original nest and built a new nest in an area of denser vegetation. The grebes are wary of people, but don’t seem disturbed by all the attention they are getting. The nest was probably moved due to threats from predators such as raccoons. These grebes also defend the nest vigorously. They are constantly chasing away Common Moorhens and Mottled Ducks from the areas surrounding their nest. The adults have been taking turns caring for the two chicks, which often ride on an adult’s back.

Labels: Birds, Least Grebe, Rare, Yamato Scrub Natural Area