Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_horned_grebe

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritus

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Horned Grebe — Breeding adult left · nonbreeding adult right
Horned Grebe — Breeding adult left · nonbreeding adult right · OpenAI image generation; Atlas deterministic typesetting · AI-generated artwork; no third-party photograph reproduced · Image source

About Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is recorded as a vagrant on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status V: vagrant. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name
Podiceps auritus
Common names
Horned Grebe
Family
Podicipedidae
Order
Podicipediformes
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Kauaʻi documented: vagrant (2017 island checklist)
Origin
Vagrant visitor
Conservation status
Not assessed
Evidence date
2026-09-13
Evidence limits
Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Wetlands · Ponds · Coastal habitat
Food and resource needs
For Kauaʻi, Horned Grebe has no standing local food dependency until an occurrence is validated. If recorded, attach the observation to transient access to aquatic vegetation, seeds, algae, submerged plant material, aquatic invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, or planktonic prey according to foraging type.
Reproduction
Breeding on Kauaʻi is not established; seasonal resting and foraging habitat may be relevant.
Shelter
Shelter and structure within wetlands, ponds, coastal habitat.

Threats and conservation

Threats
Wetland condition, avian disease, survey detectability, and rare-record review are the relevant open questions
Conservation actions
Document date, place, observer, habitat, and supporting media · Confirm identification and Kauaʻi occurrence before local conservation use
Monitoring
Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.
Data gaps
Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Rare Or Unresolved Hawaiian Waterbird Record Needs Kauai Review
Seasonal description
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is recorded as a vagrant on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

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