**Description:** Large water bird with a sleek black head, red eyes, and a striking checkered pattern on its back during breeding.
**Size & Weight:** 26–36 inches long. Weighs 8–12 lbs.
**Sexual Dimorphism:** Males are generally larger than females, but plumage is identical.
**Behavior:** Master divers with solid bones for ballast, reaching depths of 200 feet. Famous for eerie, yodeling calls heard across mountain lakes.
**Habitat:** Migratory visitor to the Allegheny Reservoir; look for their distinct "periscope" profile near the dam in November.