The western grebe is a common winter resident and one of the largest grebes found in the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia. In the past 20 years, populations of Western Grebes in Puget Sound have declined 95%. The causes for this decline are unknown but may be related to declines in forage fish (Western grebes consume primarily Pacific herring, sculpins, shiner perch, and smelts, and fewer small crabs and shrimps). They are candidates for extirpated, endangered, or threatened status in British Columbia (red list).