Yellow-billed Loon

Overview

Yellow-billed Loon: Large loon, white-spotted black upperparts, white underparts, gray sides with fine white spots. Head is glossy green-black; neck has black-and-white rings. Yellow bill. Dives for small fish, crustaceans. Direct flight on deep wing beats. Solitary, or in pairs and family groups.

Range and Habitat

Yellow-billed Loon: Breeds in northern reaches of Canada, but migrates to southern Alaska and British Columbia, where it is commonly seen. Prefers tundra lakes and ponds in summer, winters on inshore coastal waters.

INTERESTING FACTS

Yellow-billed Loons occasionally drown in nets, either put out for commercial, research, or subsistence purposes. Oil spills are a major threat on their wintering grounds and for migrants. Pairs will maintain the same territory year after year, taking on a new mate only if one does not return from migration. A group of loons has many collective nouns, including an "asylum", "cry", "loomery", "raft", and "water dance" of loons.