the horned grebe or slavonian grebe , podiceps auritus , is a member of the grebe family of water birds .
the slavonian grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver , and pursues its fish prey underwater .
the slavonian grebe is one of the species to which the agreement on the conservation of african-eurasian migratory waterbirds (aewa) applies .
the horned grebe is  a small grebe at {convert|31||38|cm|in} long with a {convert|46||55|cm|in} wingspan .
unmistakable in summer , the plumage of both male and female includes a black head with brown puffy earlike tufts along the sides of its face .
it shows a deep red neck , scarlet eyes , and a small , straight black bill tipped with white .
it rides high in the water .
slavonian grebes breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across europe and asia .
it also breeds in remote inland parts of the united states and much of canada .
most birds migrate in winter to the coast .
during this time , this small grebe is mainly white with a sharply defined black cap .
during breeding , the male's call is heard as an odd , striking series of loud croaks and chattering notes followed by prolonged shrieks .
like all grebes , it builds a nest on the water's edge , since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well .
usually two eggs are laid , and the striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back .
folk names of this bird include devil-diver , hell-diver , pink-eyed diver , and water witch .
its name is often abbreviated by british birders to "slav grebe" or simply "slav" .
in the lore of the blackfeet , the trickster old man tricked several ducks into closing their eyes and dancing while he killed them one by one .
however , the smallest duck looked , saw old man , and alerted the other ducks .
this "duck" was the horned grebe , who became the first to notice trouble .
