A tough skin surrounds each toe separately, providing more surface area for effective swimming.

When migration occurs, the birds in the northern range will travel west in flocks, at night to the Pacific coast.

Both western and Clark's grebes winter in sheltered bays or estuaries on the Pacific coast and summer in freshwater lakes with marshy vegetation as well as large open areas of water.

Current research is associating the use of springing dives by the Clark's grebe, in which the bird essentially leaps from the water before submerging, allowing it to reach deeper below the surface, with possibly proving niche separation between the two species.

In both species mate feeding appears to peak shortly before egg laying and involves the male providing large quantities of food to the begging female.

[7][6] Downy young of the western grebe display a uniform gray along the back, a white belly along with a dark patch on the forehead.

Both species of nestlings have an area of skin on the crown that changes color from orange to scarlet if the chick needs feeding or is in distress.