In breeding plumage it has a rusty-red neck and yellow-orange tufts behind the eyes; in winter it becomes gray and white.
In breeding plumage, the head and back are dark gray-black, the neck is rusty red, and yellow-orange tufts sit behind the eyes. In nonbreeding plumage, it is gray above and white below, with a black cap and white cheeks.
It breeds on shallow freshwater ponds with emergent plants and dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and other prey.
In North America, both sexes select the nest site and build a mound of aquatic plants. The clutch contains 3–8 eggs, incubated by both parents for about 23–24 days.
In North America, both parents defend and care for the chicks. At about two weeks old, the brood may be split, with each parent tending different young.
North American immature birds resemble nonbreeding adults, with a black cap, white cheeks, and a grayish wash on the neck. The bill is short and straight.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.