Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaOrder: GAVIIFORMES Family: Loons (Gaviidae)

Codes: Common Name: ARLO Scientific Name: GAVARC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 174471

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Arctic Loon: Medium loon with straight, stout bill, white-spotted black back, white flanks visible above water while swimming. Head and nape are gray. Neck has bold black and white stripes on sides and green or purple throat bar that may be difficult to see. Feeds on fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Range and Habitat

Arctic Loon: Breeds in northwestern Alaska; occurs in coastal western Alaska, especially at St. Lawrence Island, during migration. Preferred habitats include ocean, open water, and tundra lakes (summer).

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kwow, know, know"

Interesting Facts

The Arctic Loon is also known as the Black-throated Diver.

According to old stories, “the devil himself created the Black-throated Diver. They said that the devil had forgotten to give the bird its feet, and in his anger he threw the legs after the bird.”

They sit low in the water and dive with ease. On land they are clumsy, barely able to walk with their legs so far back on their bodies.

A group of loons has many collective nouns, including an "asylum", "cry", "loomery", "raft", and "water dance" of loons.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Arctic Loon

● Song: "kwow, know, know"

● Foraging & Feeding: Arctic Loon: Dives deep from the surface to catch small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. When a fish is caught, the loon throws back its head and swallows fish headfirst; may fly long distances to larger bodies of freshwater or to the coast for food.

● Breeding & nesting: Arctic Loon: One to three black-spotted, olive green to brown eggs are laid in a ground nest made of soil and plants. Incubation ranges from 28 to 30 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Arctic Loon: Pacific Loon is smaller and has less white on flanks and rump.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Arctic Loon: Breeds in northwestern Alaska; occurs in coastal western Alaska, especially at St. Lawrence Island, during migration. Preferred habitats include ocean, open water, and tundra lakes (summer).

^BreedingSolitary nester

^PopulationUncommon to locally common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight118.4 Ounces

Duck-like Body

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Arctic Loon

Related Birds

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Range and Habitat

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Interesting Facts

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Artist

Arctic Loon

Flight Pattern