# Common Loon

*Gavia immer*

Unlike most birds, loons have solid bones which act like a diver's weight belt, helping them dive to depths of up to 200 feet.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Gaviiformes › Gaviidae › Gavia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Clear, deep freshwater lakes with islands for nesting during summer; coastal marine environments during winter.
- **Diet:** Piscivorous; primarily small fish like perch and sunfish, as well as crayfish and leeches.
- **Range:** Canada, Northern United States, Greenland, Iceland, Western Europe
- **Size:** Length: 66-91 cm; Wingspan: 127-147 cm; Weight: 3-5 kg
- **Lifespan:** 20-30 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Lead poisoning from ingested fishing sinkers, mercury pollution, and shoreline habitat destruction.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but highly sensitive to disturbance. Maintain a distance of at least 150 feet, especially while boating, as wakes can drown nests. If the bird begins 'dancing' upright on the water or emitting a tremolo call, you are too close and causing stress. Never handle; their dagger-like beaks are used for defense.

## About

The common loon or great northern diver ( Gavia immer ) is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish or blackish-grey upperparts, and pure white underparts except some black on the undertail coverts and vent. Non-breeding adults are brownish with a dark neck and head marked with dark grey-brown. Their upperparts are dark brownish-grey with...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/85962885-3846-43b6-9c63-dd374784c62d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4626
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavia immer
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/401884218/medium.jpg (Matt Felperin, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.