- They are highly adaptable generalists, behaving much like miniature submarines by adjusting their buoyancy to sink slowly out of sight when threatened
- While they reside in the region permanently, their numbers swell significantly during the fall and winter months as northern migratory populations arrive
- Because southern Arizona consists largely of arid desert, these birds concentrate heavily around any perennial freshwater source with thick emergent vegetation like cattails or reeds
- Prime locations to view them include ...
= Sweetwater Wetlands (Tucson): This treated water facility features expansive cattail-choked sloughs where Pied-billed Grebes are reliably seen swimming, diving, and occasionally nesting on floating platforms
= Canoa Ranch Conservation Park (Green Valley): The main historic pond here hosts a steady population of these small, blocky-headed divers alongside native herons and waterfowl
= Silverbell Recharge Basins (Tucson): An excellent urban birding oasis where eBird records consistently track individual grebes foraging for small fish and aquatic insects throughout the year
- El Rio Preserve (Marana): A key riparian habitat where regional field observations show Pied-billed Grebe frequency rates spiking significantly above standard desert averages