A very local breeder in the Sierra Nevada from Lake Tahoe north, and westward to Lower Klamath Lake along the Oregon border.
Large numbers occur at Mono Lake during fall migration, with smaller numbers in spring.
Forages mostly by wading in shallow ponds and marshes, mudflats, and occasionally on dry shorelines. In deep water, it swims, reaches under, tips up, and occasionally whirls. Nest located on the ground in wet meadows or in short, emergent wetland along shallow sloughs or lakeshores. Aquatic habitats of either shallow or deep water are needed during the breeding and migratory periods. Shortgrass and sedge meadows and similar low vegetation are used for nest concealment, and nearby areas with sufficient invertebrate prey are required.