Podiceps occipitalis
Silhouette: Doug Backlund (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The silvery grebe (Podiceps occipitalis) is a species of grebe in the family Podicipedidae. It is found in the western and southern part of South America where it inhabits lakes and other types of open wetlands. There are two subspecies, which by some recent authorities are considered separate species.
Partially migratory, with wintering range as far north as southern Brazil, southern Bolivia and Paraguay. The silvery grebe is about 28 cm (11 in) in length. There are two different subspecies which differ in the colouring on their head and facial plumes. In the southern form, the ear plumes are yellowish and the side of the head and throat are grey. In the northern... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Grebe sighting in Península Valdés on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 66th most-seen of the 96 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Silvery Grebe in Península Valdés on a given day, against under 5% in January–May and August–October, the lowest months. June and July have too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Silvery Grebe sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Silvery Grebe sightings, Península Valdés ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Lauca National Park (Chile, about 50%), Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 20%) and Nahuel Huapi National Park (Argentina, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Silvery Grebe is recorded against all the birds logged in Península Valdés (32 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
