Common Loon

Common Loon

(Gavia immer)

  • Size: 2.3-3' long // up to 18 pounds
  • Diet: mostly fish, particularly perch and sunfish on their northern lakes
  • Seasonal Habits: Migrate in winter
  • Temperament: Can be aggressive

The eerie calls of Common Loons echo across clear lakes of the northern wilderness. Summer adults are regally patterned in black and white. In winter, they are plain gray above and white below, and you'll find them close to shore on most seacoasts and a good many inland reservoirs and lakes. Common Loons are powerful, agile divers that catch small fish in fast underwater chases. They are less suited to land, and typically come ashore only to nest.