Gavia pacifica
The Pacific Loon (*Gavia pacifica*) is a sleek, medium-sized waterbird, measuring 58-74 cm (23-29 inches) in length with a wingspan of 110-128 cm (43-50 inches) and weighing 1-2.5 kg (2.2-5.5 lbs). In breeding plumage, it is distinguished by a striking gray head and hindneck, a glossy black throat with purple iridescence, and a finely striped black-and-white collar or patch on its side neck, contrasting with a dark gray back checkered with white and a pure white belly. Its winter plumage is m...
Breeds on freshwater lakes and ponds in Arctic and subarctic tundra and boreal forests. Winters primarily along coastal marine waters, often in sheltered bays or near shorelines, rarely venturing far out to sea.
Feeds predominantly on small fish, such as herring, capelin, and sticklebacks, captured by pursuit diving underwater. Supplement its diet with crustaceans and mollusks.
Pacific Loons are primarily diurnal, spending their days foraging and typically roosting on the water. They are expert pursuit divers, using their powerful webbed feet to propel themselves underwater while hunting, often staying submerged for over a minute. On their breeding grounds, they are fie...
The Pacific Loon boasts an extensive holarctic breeding range across the Arctic and subarctic regions. In North America, they breed throughout Alaska and northern Canada, extending across the tundra and boreal zones. In Eurasia, their breeding grounds stretch across Siberia and the Russian Far Ea...
Least Concern
- The Pacific Loon was once considered a subspecies of the Arctic Loon, only recognized as a distinct species in 1957. - Chicks are precocial and can swim within hours of hatching, often riding on their parents' backs to rest and stay warm. - They possess solid bones, unlike most flying birds, wh...