The stout whitish bill and big head makes the Pied-billed Grebe easy to spot and identify. In breeding season, the bill has a black ring around it. The juveniles are quite striking with their striped bodies. Pied-billed Grebes can be found throughout North American and I usually see them singularly or in small groups in the Bay Area.

They feed on small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects.