Male and female Horned Grebes appear similar, but males are typically brighter and larger, particularly during the breeding season. In breeding plumage, both sexes have a black head adorned with distinctive golden-yellow "horns" (elongated feathers) behind their eyes, a chestnut-red neck and upper breast, and a black back. Their underparts are white. Non-breeding plumage is more muted, with a black cap, white cheeks and throat, and a gray-black back. The key identifier in both plumages is the white patch on the wing in flight.