The Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a small, brown, duck-like diving bird with a stocky body, thin neck and relatively large head. The undertail coverts are white and the tail feathers are short and brown, making the grebe appear stubby and tail-less. Pied-billed grebes are well adapted for swimming underwater. Grebes are able to waterproof their feathers by preening them with secretions from a oil gland located at the base of their tail. Tucson, AZ.