Bird name:

Arctic Loon

Gavia arctica

Order

GAVIIFORMES

Family

Loons (Gaviidae)

Code 4

ARLO

Code 6

GAVARC

ITIS

174471

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Tundra, Sea, open

Breeding Type:

Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to locally common

Egg Color:

Olive green to brown with black spots or blotches

Number of Eggs:

1 - 3

Incubation Days:

28 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Varies from mere scrape or depression to mound of earth and plants; usually it's loose structures made of aquatic vegetation.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Arctic Loon: Medium-sized loon with straight, stout bill, white-spotted black back and 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. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile have dark gray upperparts and dark cap extending to eyes.

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).

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Vocalization

Arctic Loon: Makes a deep barking 'kwow" and eerie, wailing cries, often given in flight during the breeding season. Mostly quiet in winter.

Similar Species

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

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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.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

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