Western Grebes Rushing
California, USA
Part of grebe courting is characterized by “the rushing ceremony”, when the grebes are choosing a mate. As the ceremony progresses, two or more birds rise up in the water onto their feet and scamper across the surface of the water together, running side by side. They stand straight up with their necks held high, their wings held back, and their feet churning the water like propellers. They rush for several seconds until the display concludes with a sudden dive. Rushing is not a race, but more like a synchronized dance.
The grebe is the largest animal with “water-walking” ability. As they rush, its wings are held behind and held relatively compact, so they do not contribute significantly to lifting the bird.
The ability to walk on the water requires the grebe to rapidly push down on the water, resulting in the opposite reaction, the water pushing up on the grebe.
Its feet are shaped like an oak leaf, with three-lobed digits. As they push down on the water the digits spread out to maximize surface area. When they pull their feet out again the foot is collapsed and turned sideways, to minimize drag through the water. Repeating this process 15-20 times per second allows them to generate the lift they need to walk on the water.
Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.
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