General

Common Loon: Large loon with white-spotted, black upperparts and white underparts. Head and neck are green-black with white-streaked neckbands. Bill is black and thick. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile have dark upperparts, dull white mottled underparts, throat, and chin, and gray bill.

Range and Habitat

Common Loon: Breeds from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and northern Canada south to California, Montana, and Massachusetts; also breeds in Greenland and Iceland. Spends winters along the Great Lakes, and the Gulf, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts. Preferred nesting habitat is on forested lakes and rivers; winters mainly on coastal bays and oceans.

Breeding and Nesting

Common Loon: One to three olive green to dark brown eggs, with dark brown spots, are laid in a nest made of vegetation near deep water, allowing parents to swim to and from it undetected by predators; eggs remain exposed and uncovered when parents leave the nest to forage. Incubation ranges from 26 to 31 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Common Loon: Eats mostly fish and occasionally crustaceans such as crayfish; forages by diving from the surface and chasing down prey underwater.

Vocalization

Common Loon: Call is a loud, wailing laugh, also a mournful yodeled "oo-AH-ho" with a higher middle note; also makes a loud, ringing "kee-a-ree, kee-a-ree" with a lower middle note. Often calls at night.

Similar Species

Common Loon: The rare Yellow-billed Loon has yellow bill that is beveled upwards at tip.