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Coot ♂ swims toward ♀ who is 40 feet away v rapidly with head extended in front & bill pointing straight out. travels rapidly. ♀ makes off in same fashion but slowly when male is within two feet she turns & faces him when the two move the extended heads [[from?]] side to side & male turns, raising wing tips & pointing tail straight up so that white shows prominently. Then swims slowly away. First with wing tips level with tip of tail & then goes off.

Males fly at each other, settle & strike with feet savagely & then turn & steam away with elevated wings & tail spread. White on wings & tail form [[?]] pattern. ♀ over whom they are quarreling joins in battle.

Pied billed preening. takes loose feathers & dabbles them in water & then wallows.

[[image - drawing of bird bathing]]

Eared grebe preening. a number of feather pulled out & cast aside

Eared grebe display. Male poses with body slightly raised, head drawn back and wings half extended & tips raised.  [[image - profile drawing of bird in display position]] ♀ dives. In 12-15 seconds comes up six feet away back to male & standing perfectly erect on water head horizontal. Immediately whirls to face male who rises to same attitude

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and two approach until breasts nearly touch & remain for 8-10 seconds with heads turning from side to side rapidly. Then subside to normal position & nod heads rapidly from side to side. Then go to preening.

[[image - drawing of two grebes sitting up facing each other]] Two female and 1 male. one pair evidently but perhaps just mated. ♂ & ♀ stay together but male continually shows attention to other female by diving & coming up immediately beside her. At some indication from true mate he approach rapidly & the two then rise very slightly and swim rapidly spattering water the male slightly behind female and at one side with side of breast touching side of her back. the two calling in a shrill trill. Then subside & preen.

Males threaten by half extending wings two or three times. Run at each other & strike with bills. attacked bird dives to escape.

Mated coots. floating about almost touching preening feather of head. ♀  reaches over and works bill softly through feathers of head of male who holds perfectly still. ♀ then puts head down on water with neck partly drawn in and male in turn preens her head gently but for a shorter time. Male & female also swim together heads nodding as though picking something from water with bills opening & closing. Male throws drops of water from side to side at close swims off & leaves female